Fate: Parallels
by Parcasious
Summary: 'Hero of the Sword' compared to Hero of the Sword. A Nameless Hero brought into a world facing catastrophe. Shirou summoned as an add-on to the 4 heroes, yet who was the real hero? A Sword? A Spear? A Bow? A Shield? Well, Shirou could do that too.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue:**

_The Legend of Four Cardinal Weapons. _

_The Sword. _

_The Shield. _

_The Bow. _

_And the Spear. _

_A Legend of Four Heroes, well, that was how it was supposed to have had been._

This wasn't the case.

Emerald light illuminated a dark space as circular patterns of various sigils and symbols expanded outwards into a wide diameter.

Frankly speaking, Shirou had no idea what he was doing here. Worse, the summoners themselves who had summoned him from his world into a dim lit room within a tower were looking at him in bafflement.

A side effect?

A mistake?

The reactions that they were giving him were clear indicators that he had only been an add-on or a by-product to this summoning process. A magic circle was beneath his feet, transcribed with runes and markings that he was far from familiar with.

"Oh Heroes, please save our world!"

A man in a priest's garb bowed towards him. More accurately, at the other four individuals behind his back. Each had a certain weapon held in their right arms respectively, a sword, a shield, a bow, and a spear.

Shirou was the odd one out who didn't have anything equipped to his right arm.

He was being ignored because of it.

No one was paying attention to him other than the passing glance that three out of the four others summoned sent his way. The only one who seemed to want to call out to him was the man with the shield, but the situation proceeded too quickly to hold any kind of conversation. More so with how haughty the other three were to immediately demand compensation in order for them to 'save the world,' or become its enemies if their conditions were not met.

"You can't expect us to just work for free, can you?" The man carrying the sword spoke. He had raven-black hair which framed either side of his face and he was wearing a blue sweater and black coloured pants.

"Exactly," The man with the bow was quick to agree. He was wearing a tailored school uniform and had his shaggy blond hair kept short over his head.

Panicked, the priest who had summoned everyone defaulted to handing negotiations to the King.

"If your King knows of a way to send us back, then it doesn't matter who we talk to," the man with a spear spoke soundly. Different from the other two who appeared as if they were still in high-school, the man with the spear seemed college-aged. He wore his long blond hair in a pony-tail and was tall enough that his spear could rest comfortably on his shoulder. "Just guide the way."

Flustered, the priest and his accompanying apprentices hurriedly escorted everyone to the King's chambers.

The Hero of the Spear, Sword, and Bow were quick to follow, but the Hero of the Shield momentarily stood in a daze at the actions of his fellow summoned companions.

"Could these guys be anymore smug?" The Hero of the Shield spoke stiffly.

Shirou looked at the Hero of the Shield's directions and realized that he was being spoken to.

"I guess," Shirou answered lightly. "I can't say much though since I just met them."

Shirou placed a hand under his chin in thought. Ever since he'd been summoned, he'd been ignoring most of the conversation to reflect on how he'd even ended up in this situation. He couldn't think of any reason.

"Hey, are you coming? They look like they're going to leave us." The Hero of the Shield was unlike the other summoned Heroes. At the very least, he was both kind and considerate. His cheerful expression despite being abruptly summoned into the middle of nowhere was admirable.

Shirou put aside his thoughts in order to catch up.

"My name's Naofumi Iwatani by the way," the Hero of the Shield introduced himself while excitedly looking around.

"Shirou Emiya," he replied politely.

Naofumi grinned. "This is really a different world isn't it? Look at the buildings outside. Even the air feels different."

A town could be seen through the bar-like structure of a tower window.

It was definitely a new world, and that was precisely why Shirou couldn't let his guard down.

"Don't you think the two of us are being ignored?" Shirou brought up the first point he'd noticed since he'd been summoned. One would think that a people being oppressed by an imminent danger would pay more attention to those that they had summoned. Clearly this wasn't the case for them.

"Maybe," Naofumi did not deny or agree but he was looking at how attentive the priests and the passing Knights were to the other Heroes. "I guess we just lack presence or charisma."

_Fair point._

Still, this was different. Shirou could see it in the eyes of those looking at Naofumi, but there was definitely contempt and enmity hidden within them.

Shirou kept his thoughts to himself. It wouldn't do to carelessly worry Naofumi who seemed like it was his first time experiencing a supernatural event. Besides, the sooner that he met the King, the sooner he could ask for answers as to why he had been summoned.

The priest eventually led everyone to separate rooms before informing everyone that the King would meet them all the next morning.

There was little that Shirou and the others could do but comply. They were not so unreasonable that they couldn't understand that the King could be busy and unable to hold an audience on such short notice. However, while Naofumi and the others were given rooms near each other, Shirou was given a mere supply closet, not that he cared much.

He scratched at the back of his head and soon considered a plan of action.

Rather than staying put, he used to the time to gather intel from palace maids and servants. In which case, he soon came to learn that the Kingdom that he was summoned within was known as the Kingdom of Melromarc. The purpose of the summoning itself was intended as a call for aid to combat against disastrous events known as the Waves of Calamity.

Many people had already died, town's destroyed, and populations reduced to zero.

There was much to consider.

He returned to his lodging and lied down on the impromptu bed that he'd made from gathering stuffed pillows and binding them within linen cloth. It was a tad uncomfortable, but it would do for now. Anything was better than sleeping outside without any camping gear.

He stared up at the bright moon that he could see through the window.

A world that needed saving.

Heroes summoned.

It got him thinking about the past.

He raised a hand up and seemed to grasp at something always beyond reach.

Unaware of loss, nor aware of gain.

The world needed Heroes, and perhaps that was enough reason to decide that he wouldn't be so hasty to leave and find a way home.

* * *

The next day came quickly, and soon everyone had gathered in a large hall where the King of Melromarc sat on a throne at the center of the room occupied by both guards and high aristocrats. The King was named Aultcray Melromarc, an old aged man wearing a decorated mantle and golden crown.

The Heroes introduced themselves one by one while standing before the King.

"Ren Amaki." Hero of the Sword.

"Itsuki Kawasumi." Hero of the Bow.

"Motoyasu Kitamura." Hero of the Spear.

"Naofu-"

The King abruptly cut Naofumi off with little interest. "Yes yes, the Hero of the Shield."

Naofumi frowned but could do little else as the King soon focused his attention elsewhere.

"And you would be?"

Aultcray looked directly at Shirou.

"Shirou Emiya. I was summoned here by accident," Shirou gave a curt reply.

Aultcray hummed, a flash of intelligence lingering within his clouded eyes. Years of peace would serve well to dull a man, but sometimes what's left within could still remain the same. Shirou's eyes had shifted towards the staff leaning on Aultcray's throne. Aultcray gave him a look of peculiarity before keeping his staff out of view.

"Moving on," Aultcray coughed into his hand. "I'm certain that all of you have been briefed of the situation within this world and the Waves of Calamity?"

More or less was the general response.

After finding a way to pacify Motoyasu and the other heroes, Aultcray soon moved onto the topic of companions for the Heroes. Of course, Shirou was excluded because he was not a hero from the perspective of the populace.

He was Nameless he supposed.

How fitting.

Still, the way the parties were formed for each individual hero left much to be considered.

Aultcray had gathered a large group of talented individuals to serve as companions for the Heroes. However, it wasn't the heroes that chose the companions, but the companions that chose the Hero.

In which case, the result left little room for imagination.

If Shirou's earlier observations about being neglected were to be taken into account, right now was probably the best evidence.

Ren's party had five.

Motoyasu's party had four.

Itsuki's party had three.

And Naofumi's party had none.

"Hey wait a minute, this isn't fair!" Naofumi was quick to voice out his displeasure.

As it would turn out, there had been rumours that unlike the other three Heroes, the Shield Hero was summoned without even a basic understanding of the world around him. Subsequently, none of the Heroes companions thought him to be reliable enough to follow. Worse, Ren, and the others did not force their followers to aid Naofumi.

Shirou had enough of keeping silent. He'd observed enough.

"Will you let me join your party?" He asked Naofumi with a friendly smile.

"Yes, yes of course," Naofumi was quick to nod his head.

"Still, a party of two isn't exactly the best, isn't it?" Motoyasu was showing a hint of consideration and yet, he wasn't exactly doing anything about it himself.

"Sir Hero, would you allow me to switch parties to the Shield Hero?"

Naofumi looked dazed as a woman who had previously sided with Motoyasu raised her hand and approached him gently. Her expression was warm and endearing, her demeanor charmingly alluring. She was a red-haired adventurer in fanciful leather garb.

Naofumi's face was flushing red and it looked like he was having trouble finding the right words to say.

"A-Are you sure?" Motoyasu looked the most taken aback out of everyone in the room. Most likely, he would have had taken his previous words back if he could.

"Yes, I'm sure," the girl spoke before raising a hand for Naofumi to shake. "My name is Myne Suphia. Will you allow me to accompany you on your journey?"

Naofumi looked transfixed at the hand extended out to him, but just before he could react to Myne's offer, Shirou stood in between them. "Sorry, we'll have to decline," he said.

"W-Wait what?" Naofumi looked like someone had just shot him in the foot. "No wait, hold on that's not," he stumbled for words.

"Trust me," Shirou insisted.

Trust was a hard term to come by, but Naofumi had always been one to believe in the good intentions of others. Maybe there was a reason that Shirou was stopping Myne from joining their party?

Reluctant as he was, it was Shirou who had stepped up to help him first when no one else would.

"Sorry," Naofumi said to Myne while smiling wryly. "Maybe some other time."

"Uhm, yes sure," Myne looked put off, and if anything, it caused Naofumi to stare at Shirou in depression.

Soon enough Aultcray dismissed everyone after giving each Hero a war chest of goods and money to purchase better equipment.

As Naofumi's party only consisted of two, he received two-hundred silver coins more compared to the others who received six-hundred.

Still, Naofumi looked bitter while looking at Ren, Motoyasu, and Itsuki's parties leave.

"Buck up Naofumi," Shirou patted Naofumi on the back. "Sometimes numbers don't matter much in terms of efficiency. The other Heroes may have more allies, but you have me, don't you?"

"Does that even make a difference?" Naofumi's voice lacked spirit. "We would have had three people in the party if you didn't refuse. Besides, Myne seemed kind." Naofumi scratched his cheek with his index finger entranced with the image of Myne in his mind.

Shirou grimaced in response. He didn't know how to explain to Naofumi that he could 'detect' a certain type of scent from Myne and it wasn't of the common sort. It smelled of withered grass and decay that no amount of perfume could ever mask away.

It was…off.

Something about her was just entirely off and Shirou trusted his senses. More so when one considered that he could detect traces of magic through smell.

Myne smelled like a 'Magus' not only because she specialized probably in spells, but because she seemed the sort to smile even when ruthlessly stabbing someone in the back. Plenty of magi in his former world were like that, and he'd learned to be cautious in his trade as a mercenary.

He was twenty-three and had already been out working on the field on his own. His talent as a Third-Rate Magus had been too low to continue studying in the Clock Tower by Rin's side any longer.

Rin had tried to persuade him to stay, but once the atrophy of his twenty-seven magic circuits had been discovered, there wasn't much that Rin could do to promote his presence in magical theory classes any longer. Just as any muscle or organ deteriorates through time, his atrophied magic circuits were his fault due to numerous years of disuse. Worse, Magic Circuits were key to the success of a magus. They were what allowed a magus to utilize their mysteries and the quality of one's magic circuits generally dictated the potential of a magus. It was why House Barthomeloi of the Blue Blood ruled as one of the strongest noble houses in the Clock Tower. Their Magic Circuits were both incredibly potent and efficient.

Shirou's in comparison was garbage in their current condition.

He said atrophied, but it was more like he was still unused to them. At best, each of his magic circuits could barely handle ten units of magical energy each.

In short, he was a waste of resources.

And so, he started his life as a wandering Nameless Hero and Mercenary: Not that it mattered much to him because it allowed him to pursue his dream.

Moving on, Shirou had to find a way to get Naofumi's mind off of the other Heroes. The difference in treatment was too stark a contrast and Shirou didn't want it to negatively effect Naofumi's condition.

"It _does_ make a difference," Shirou said referring back to Naofumi's response.

Naofumi glanced up and saw Shirou staring at him in all seriousness.

"In this world, you won't find anyone else like me. So, cheer up. If I understand it correctly, the other Heroes are leaving to go leveling or whatever. I don't know what the purpose of leveling is, but are you just going to let the other Heroes get further ahead of you?"

"Well, no. I guess you're right." Naofumi remained positive despite the indifferent gazes of those around him. Apparently, the Shield Hero was the weakest of all Heroes and as such, people were already judging Naofumi as a waste. "Let's go."

Naofumi sucked in a breath and followed in the direction that the other Heroes had gone towards.

Melromarc was a large Kingdom with many buildings built with cobblestone and wood. Merchants lined the streets and hawked their wares in hopes of garnering any of the passing citizens interests.

Naofumi was a prime candidate to swindle or obtain easy money from, but fortunately, Naofumi wasn't stupid. He was merely browsing through the offered items on the road while making his way towards the 'beginner training ground' that Motoyasu and the others seemed to know of already.

Once Shirou and Naofumi arrived on the training ground, Naofumi quickly made the decision to farm for EXP away from them. He felt like he'd only regret it more if he could see Myne in the distance in Motoyasu's party. However, in his haste, Naofumi wasn't paying attention to the way that Ren was shaking his head at him in consideration.

As it would turn out, the direction that Naofumi was heading towards was a higher-level training ground. Worse, Naofumi was definitely going in unprepared.

Ren didn't bother giving a warning. It was Naofumi's fault for not noticing his good intentions.

Finding an isolated location, Naofumi quickly sent Shirou a party invite which Shirou accepted.

A information screen appeared in Naofumi's gaze while Shirou stared quizzically at him.

[Shirou Emiya]

[Class: Nameless]

[lvl: ?]

[Status: Sword]

What the hell? Naofumi blinked in confusion. Other than not being able to clearly see a level, what sort of status did 'Sword' mean? Better yet, what kind of life did Shirou lead to possess a class known as Nameless?

"Something wrong?" Shirou asked.

"Uhm, no, but do you know how to access your stats?" Naofumi was speaking in gaming terms.

"Stats?" Shirou was clueless.

Magi were generally out of touch with modern day inventions, so even Shirou who knew how to operate a TV and DVD was confused.

Naofumi didn't have time to elaborate.

Monsters were coming in the form of harmless looking orange balls known literally as 'balloons.'

They were a common monster in Melromarc and being that Naofumi was only at the base level, the single EXP point that they gave was more than enough to get him to level after he and Shirou killed off over a dozen of them.

Naofumi had to strike the monster several times with his fist before it died, but Shirou seemed to have little trouble striking the monsters down with the basic sword that Aultcray had provided for him.

[Level up]

Naofumi stared at the small status window that popped up at the edge of vision and felt a wave of energy swell from within him which increased his base attributes. He didn't think much of it because he was somewhat of an Otaku back in Japan and was used to such videogame mechanics, but Shirou stiffened entirely.

After Naofumi had officially entered Shirou into his party with an invite, Shirou could suddenly see personal notification bars in his periphery; a certain sequence of which left him dumbfounded.

[Level up]

[Magic Circuits: (-) 27 (Atrophied)]

[Magic Circuits: (+) 1]

[Magic Circuits: (-) 26 (Atrophied)]

[Grade C Magic Circuit acquired]

[Grade C Magic Circuits: (+) 1]

Sihrou's eyes appeared bloodshot while surveying the monsters around him and muttering to himself in a daze. This 'leveling' concept wasn't just about farming anymore. His capabilities directly correlated to the amount of people that he could save both now and in the future. How could he possibly keep still? Moreover, does the amount of this EXP thing change based on the monster? The balloon monsters only seemed to be giving a single EXP point.

His nose suddenly detected a new scent in the air.

"Is something wrong, Shirou?" Naofumi looked over in concern. Shirou was just standing there entirely frozen. "I don't do enough damage to farm these things on my own so if you're tired, we can stop now?"

No answer.

"Shirou?"

Wait, where was Shirou looking at right now?

Naofumi paled while staring off into the distance. It was a pack of fierce black-wolves. Different from the standard wolf, their size was almost double, their paws leaving deep imprints over the earth as they stalked forward.

The level displayed over the monster's heads was a crimsons red.

[Baskerfield Hounds: lvl 30]

[Naofumi Iwatani: lvl 2]

Shit!

Naofumi steadily began backing away. It hadn't been long since he left the area where the others Heroes were and maybe if he ran back there, the Melromarc guards could help.

On his and Shirou's own, there was no way that they could defeat this monster at their current level, but the way that Shirou was eyeing the Baskerfield Hounds made Naofumi feel uneasy.

Something in the air had changed.

Mundane weapons would be enough. A horde of them.

Space began to ripple as tendrils of magical energy arced over the ground and singed the grass black.

[Shirou Emiya]

Icons flashed over Naofumi's view as he used an arm to cover his face from the sudden wind.

[Sword: Set]

Sword? What sword? Naofumi was forced to close his eyes.

"Trace, On."

A voice resounded, quiet, yet strong.

A thrum resounded outwards, followed by obscure shadows blotting out the light in the area.

Naofumi looked up and felt his breath hitch in his throat, his mouth drying.

Swords.

Dozens of them.

Hundreds even.

It would be hard not to notice, but from the moment that they had formed, they were fired, causing tremors to spread through the ground.

Naofumi could hear the other heroes and companions running over to his direction, but all that he could see before his eyes was the man in front of him.

[Shirou Emiya]

[Title: Hero of Wrought Iron]

[Luck: E]

[?]

[?]

He was a mystery. A man summoned inadvertently, and yet-

[Level up]

[Level up]

[Level up]

[Level up]

[Level up]

[Level up]

Holy Fuck.

Naofumi fell on his butt while looking at the area filled entirely with smoking craters and mottled with holes. He was dumbstruck. Motoyasu and the others were much the same when they saw the scene before them, however unlike Naofumi, they had not seen the cause.

"What kind of monster did you run into?" Ren and the others asked in a daze. Their companions shivered at the sheer scale of the damage.

_He's standing right in front of you._

Naofumi held his tongue, excitement bubbling from within him as he noticed the jump in his current level.

Shirou had been right, there really was no one else like him.

* * *

**Thanks for Reading!**

**This was the prologue for the A-Tier story vote which I ended up getting done first. **

**Nanoha's update coming in a few hours**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fate or Rising of the Shield Hero**

**P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious**


	2. Before the Calamity: Part 1

The present world really was different from Shirou's own.

The lack of disruption to the magical make-up of his projections was one key factor in his analysis, the other was perhaps the most novel experience. Odd pop-up windows continually graced his vision.

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Grade C Magic Circuits Acquired]

The depth and quality of his magical reserves were undergoing a qualitative breakthrough such that he had momentarily lost himself in the moment. He couldn't help it though. The one limiting factor that he'd always had in regards to his magecraft was his substandard level of magical output.

His magical output wasn't bad per say, but the energy required to Trace weapons above the league of mundane was always consuming. It left him with little choice but to learn not to recklessly squander his available energy during the course of his previous career. With this new 'leveling' thing however, he was suddenly given more leeway in regards to energy consumption.

After years of learning to conserve as much magical energy as possible, when presented with such an opportunity, there was no way to hold himself back.

Maybe, he might have had over done it though?

The expression on his face blackened while looking at the upturned and cratered field around him. What was worse, was that the place didn't used to be a field, but a verdant patch of forest.

He turned around only to see Naofumi and the other Heroes standing in a group with their respective parties.

Realizing that he alone was the only one standing in the middle of a devastated field, he understood how precarious he looked. He didn't mind drawing attention, but he never preferred it in the first place. This was to say, that he ordinarily wouldn't have cared. However, given the situation, it wasn't the best decision.

Presently, the Kingdom of Melromarc paid him little regard due to his status as a 'tag-along' during the summoning of the Four Heroes. This was good in its own way.

He was in a new world.

In this regard, he was still unfamiliar with political alignments, magical systems, and the like.

In his line of work, that meant that it was best to remain low profile until he could update his information. Besides, something didn't seem quite right about the way that the situation between the Four Heroes was being handled.

It was best to save his trump cards for when they were really needed.

It wasn't yet time to reveal his capabilities.

Fortunately, there was still smoke and dust around to obscure his form so he quickly dug deep within himself and drew forth from the magical energy produced his magic circuits.

Magic suffused his form, running through his body with a dim sheen of blue before fading.

Reinforcement Magic.

In his world, it was a type of magecraft that any magus was capable of pulling off. It involved enhancing the ability of items or objects such that a pillow could potentially become more durable that steel.

In his case, it wasn't a pillow that he was Reinforcing, but his body instead. To most magi, doing such a thing was suicidal simply because if too much magical energy was exerted, the body would explode. If too little was used, then why even bother?

He was special in a different regard. In the ignorance of his youth, rather than use his magic circuits to convert mana into magical energy, he used his nerves as make-shift circuits. Not only was the procedure painful, but he had obtained an unexpected gain: A full understanding of his body's capabilities.

Reinforcing his body was almost second nature at this point.

Magical power coursing through his veins, he dug his feet into the ground before bolting off into the distance and circling around from where Naofumi and the others stood.

Patting the dust and grime from off of his clothing, he approached the group of Heroes in the opposite direction of the mess that he'd created.

"What happened?" He asked with a carefully confused voice when the others took notice of him.

For a second, it appeared as if Naofumi's eyes bugged out when they saw each other. However, before Naofumi could voice any exclamations, Ren and the others spoke first.

"We don't know ourselves," Ren said grimly. Itsuki and Motoyasu were of the same opinion if the confusion on their faces were anything to go by. "Based on the information in our minds, there shouldn't be any kind of monster able to cause this much damage in the beginner area."

Itsuki nodded his head while Motoyasu placed a hand beneath his chin.

"It makes no sense," Itsuki muttered before turning his attention back to Naofumi. Everyone else was quick to do the same.

If Ren and the others had thought that Shirou had an answer, then now they no longer thought so given the context of his previous question. Only Naofumi kept giving Shirou odd looks.

In response, Shirou shook his head at Naofumi when no one was looking, indicating for him to keep quiet.

"So, what did you see?" Itsuki went back to pressing Naofumi for an answer.

Naofumi stood up from the ground, and dusted off the dirt beneath his pants. "I don't know," he said with a flat expression. The man had a damn good poker face. "Do you even think my level was high enough to determine a monster with this kind of strength?"

In most games, level dictated everything. A player at the basic level would never hope to match the capabilities of a higher-level player. It was like a standard bird trying to keep up with the movements of a sparrow.

The excuse was beyond reasonable.

In Itsuki, Ren, and Motoyasu's minds, it was the _only _explanation.

"Fair point," Motoyasu rested his spear against his shoulder before frowning at the damage done in front of him. "Lets just hope that none of us run into whoever caused this any time soon."

"Right." Ren and Itsuki were quick to agree.

Naofumi was the one who felt the most incredulous, but recalling the way that Shirou shook his head at him, he didn't make much of a fuss.

With nothing to be gained or known, Ren and the others decided that it was best that they stop wasting their time. The Heroes weren't supposed to travel as a party anyway. They needed to grow stronger with their own individual parties.

"Well then, take care I guess," Itsuki inclined his head and left followed by Motoyasu who gave a small wave, and Ren who shrugged. Their parties all followed at their lead.

Left alone, it was only then that Naofumi looked questioningly at Shirou.

Shirou let out a breath and knew that it was probably best not to keep too many secrets from his current partner. It ruined the concept of level ground and made it difficult to establish genuine trust. Besides, wasn't it because of being part of Naofumi's party that he could benefit from this new leveling thing?

Making sure that Ren and the others were really gone, he motioned for Naofumi to follow him to a more secluded location away from the new field of craters where he could see Melromarc's guards congregating towards.

Eventually, the two stopped at a small clearing where a stream ran through and two large boulders could made do as chairs. He gestured for Naofumi to take a seat.

"To start off, let me reintroduce myself," Shirou began while sitting opposite to Naofumi. "My name is Shirou Emiya, and from my world, I go around saving as many people as a I can."

"The Hero of Wrought Iron," Naofumi suddenly said.

Shirou's eye narrowed in surprise, but before he could even begin to question Naofumi where he'd heard that title from, Naofumi was already pointing above him.

"It says so on an icon right on top of your head," Naofumi offered.

Shirou blinked. What?

No, he shook his head to clear his thoughts. Too many weird things had happened with his life so he was already beyond the point of being phased for long. "What else does it say above me?" He inquired.

"Nothing else really," Naofumi scrutinized the air. "See for yourself. You're part of my party so you should be able to see it to."

How was he supposed to do that?

His confusion must have had been showing because Naofumi cleared his throat and spoke up again. "You should be able to bring up the game panel if you think hard about it."

Again, Shirou was left at a loss.

"What game panel?" He asked, lips curving downward into a grimace.

Naofumi looked dumbfounded. "Have you never played a video game before?"

"No," was the flat answer. "But I know of them, I guess."

Naofumi considered his answer while looking at him in disbelief. "Okay, let me so what I can do as party leader then."

The only sort of screens and icons that Shirou had been able to see before was nothing regarding stats or basic information. Instead, all that he had ever seen were basic notifications.

Naofumi as party leader began poking at the air and eventually pulled up a party-leader panel which he soon shared. "Here, try this."

A prompt appeared before Shirou's eyes, and soon enough, he was given access to what Naofumi could see above his head.

[Party member: Shirou Emiya]

[Title: Hero of the Wrought Iron: Bonus weapon affinity to all weapons]

[Status: Sword]

[Class: Nameless]

[Sub Class: Magus]

[Level: ? (Basic)]

[Applying experience yield]

[New Level: ?]

[Magic: ?]

[Strength: ?]

[Intelligence: ?]

[Wisdom: ?]

[Dexterity: ?]

[Luck: E]

Of course, Luck was the only attribute with an actual designation.

Shirou felt his upper lip twitch, but as for the question marks, it was probably because Naofumi did not have an accurate idea of his capabilities yet. That, or his current abilities, level, and attributes were too high for Naofumi to presently appraise. Everything was from Naofumi's perspective after all so if he wanted to see his actual stats, he'd have to bring up his own status screen himself. A feat that he'd figure out how to do later. Right now, he still had some explaining to do.

"What did you do before?" Naofumi asked in excitement. "You should have had told me from the beginning if you were this capable. I rose up by like ten levels just then!"

He shrugged at Naofumi's question while deciding how he should answer. The truth may be difficult for anyone to accept, but he could see that out of all the summoned Heroes, Naofumi was the most earnest. The way that Naofumi seemed to believe in the best of people and inherently trust them was enough of an indication of Naofumi's character.

In all honesty, Naofumi naivety reminded him of himself in some ways.

"In my world, there's a profession of magic practitioners known individually as a Magus." He started to explain. "I am a Magus, a user of magecraft. What you just saw me do earlier can be considered my unique magic."

"Well, what can it do?" The eagerness in Naofumi's tone was not lost on him.

"See for yourself." Magical energy thrummed from within him, and all of a sudden, a certain sword appeared in his hands causing Naofumi to startle in wonderment.

"Ren's sword?" Naofumi felt his breath hitch in his throat.

Precisely.

In his hands was a copy of the Legendary Sword.

This was the ability of his magecraft known as Tracing. Any weapon or shield that he'd ever seen is stored and recorded within his inner world and can be recreated at will. The quality and make of a weapon when created through Tracing was near identical to any original such that no differences could be seen if ever.

What he didn't expect however was the series of prompts that manifested in front of him after tracing the Legendary Sword.

[Host Error: Sword Hero]

[Troubleshooting]

[Host Qualifications: Determining]

[Error]

[Error]

It was like the Legendary Sword had a mind of its own and was constantly going haywire. Reading the words of the various notifications in front of him, it was like the sword was asking itself why he himself wasn't summoned as the Hero of the Sword.

Wait, did that mean that the Traced copy of the Legendary Sword was somehow linked to the original?

He didn't know what that meant, but he stopped caring when he realized that the Traced version of the Legendary Sword was attempting to bind itself to him.

[Host compatibility: Beyond Optimal]

Uhm, no.

He stopped it right then and there and dismissed the sword.

All notifications quickly disappeared.

Out of curiosity, he Traced the other Legendary Weapons which all provided similar icon prompts. Of the Four Legendary Weapons, the least compatible for him was the Shield while the most compatible for him was the Sword. The Spear and Bow were optimally compatible with him due to his experience in those fields and the number of spears in his inner world.

In his contemplation, he forgot that he was actually in the middle of an explanation. It wasn't until he heard the sound of a mouth shutting closed that he snapped back into reality.

He stared up to see Naofumi's deceptively blank face. "You're a cheat," Naofumi said. "If this were a game, you'd be goddamn fucking broken."

Shirou raised a brow. He couldn't understand how his Tracing had anything to do with a game. "It's called Tracing," he offered. "Any weapon I see, I can recreate. I'd also prefer it you didn't disclose this ability of mine lightly. I'm only sharing it with you because we're a party and we need to know what the two of us can do."

Shirou decided that it was best that he didn't yet inform Naofumi that his Tracing also allowed him to inherit the skills of the wielder. He really didn't know how Naofumi would react considering that the man was already acting weird at the moment.

"Anything else that you want to know?" he asked.

Naofumi shook his head.

Inwardly, the man was screaming like a player in a video game that had stumbled onto a Divine-level treasure.

JACKPOT!

He lost out on a large party, but instead, his starter gift was something far more valuable than just six-hundred silver.

Seeing Naofumi's silence, Shirou nodded.

"Good," he stood up from where he sat opposite to Naofumi. "It's better to use our time to understand what you can do with that shield anyway. Any ideas?"

Snapping out of his stupor and wiping away the dumb smile on his face, Naofumi energetically brought himself back into the conversation.

"As of the moment, no," Naofumi admitted while copying Shirou's actions and standing up from the rock that he was sitting on. "I haven't had much time to really look into it. Moreover, I think I want to actually get some kind of weapon."

Naofumi scratched the back of his head while grinning sheepishly. "Since we went out to the training fields so fast, I haven't had the time to properly equip myself. My shield isn't suitable as a damage weapon. Well, at least we have money so what about heading to town first?"

From Naofumi's perspective, the two had already leveled up enough to warrant a break.

Shirou considered Naofumi's idea before agreeing. "Sure," he said.

Fiddling with his pockets, Naofumi produced the bag containing six-hundred silver and split it evenly in half before offering Shirou his share.

"Here," Naofumi said. "You should buy yourself some equipment too."

Before Naofumi could give Shirou his full share, Shirou raised up a hand and only took a hundred silver to act as pocket money.

"This will be enough," he said. "It's not like I'm short on armour or weapons anyway."

Recalling what Shirou had just explained about his special ability, Naofumi once again felt like grinning from ear to ear but forcibly quelled the urge. "Then thanks. I'll make sure to make good use of it."

Naofumi pocketed the rest of the silver and walked together into town with Shirou.

What Naofumi wasn't expecting was for Shirou to suddenly decide to wander off on his own.

"Are you sure?" Naofumi asked skeptically. "The both of us were just summoned to this world. We know next to nothing about it so isn't it dangerous to split up? Besides, we still have some leveling to do before calling it a day."

It was a good point, but Shirou knew better than to not prepare for emergencies in advance.

"That's precisely why its better to scout around. Let's meet back up here at the spot by the stream in another hour or so."

Naofumi considered his proposition and soon agreed.

The both of them were grown men and summoned beings with the title of Heroes.

What was the worst that could happen?

* * *

Shirou did not waste a minute after separating from Naofumi.

The Kingdom of Melromarc was rather large and there was much ground to cover. In this regard, he understood that there was no way that he could scout everything. He'd learned in his life to be practical so he decided to just start at places where he knew that he and Naofumi would frequent in order to restock supplies or rest. However, the first thing that he had to do before getting onto business was lose his 'tail.'

A Shadow faintly followed behind him and directly out of view. His pursuer was skilled, but what had given his pursuer away was curiosity.

At the time that he'd left several craters at the beginner hunting grounds, he'd felt a trace of a certain type of emotion directed towards him. Fear. Apprehension. Out of everyone on the beginner training field hours earlier, other than Naofumi, only the Shadow should know that he was the cause of the attack.

The momentary respite in his Shadow's composure was enough to leave an opening for him to discover.

From there, he had made sure to drag Naofumi to a different location where the Shadow could not so easily follow lest he or she be discovered.

He had a vague suspicion that the Shadow wasn't supposed to be tailing him in the first place, but Naofumi instead.

His fire power must have had left quite an impression for the Shadow to abandon observation on a summoned hero just for his sake.

How flattering.

Now how was he supposed to go about losing his pursuer?

None of his weapons or means were suitable for stealth and his pursuer's stealth level was definitely far higher than his own. Therefore, what was he to do?

For now, nothing.

His best option was to just directly confront his pursuer, but he had no idea what ramification doing so would have. Right now, he wasn't just acting on his own, but with Naofumi as well.

He was confident in his strength, but for all intents and purposes, Naofumi was still too weak to brave through a possible conspiracy within Melromarc.

So be it.

He slowed his pace and gave the bare minimum of attention to the observer hiding within the shadows, but not before giving a vague wave in the direction that the observer was crouched at.

Said observer must have had been terrified of him because he could have had sworn that he heard an incredulous yelp.

Regardless it was time to get a lay of the land. At the same time, he was interested in looking for some kind of library detailing the new world's magical systems and theories. He needed to understand just how much different his magecraft was from the world's common magic in order not to stand out too much.

With that in mind, he started asking around town if any such facilities were available for public viewing.

However, he didn't get far before frowning heavily.

Was he really seeing this?

What the hell?

There was a child no older than ten, bruised, dirty, and struggling with the weight of three heavy crates tied together and supported on the child's back. The contrast between the child's miniscule figure compared to the heavy crates was appalling. More so when it was evident that the child was struggling.

The child had hair the colour of a husky's fur and was wearing nothing more than a stained rag over his tiny body. Purple bruises ran up and down the child's arms while small cuts could be seen on the child's hands and feet that must have had hurt. Everyone knew just how sensitive wounds on the hands and feet were. It was why a paper cut was painful despite appearing so harmless.

Anger towards others was an emotion that he didn't generally feel. He always thought the best of others and in turn, he did his best to make everyone's lives easier. If asked to do a tedious chore, he'd never hesitated to accept. In which case, the fact that anger was building up from within him only made the situation even harder for him to accept.

Why was no one doing anything?

Could they not see the pain that a child was in, or did they refuse to help simply because of the dog ears that he could see growing from the child's head?

In any case, it didn't matter.

If no one wanted to intervene, then he would do so.

His legs carried him forward one step at a time until he stopped right in front of the child who stared back at him with a trace of anxiety. The child seemed to believe that he'd come in order to do harm. Evidently, so did the other people who were sneering in the back ground.

Bastards.

The glare that he sent in their direction must have had been chilling because no one dared stare at the child with such expressions again.

He shook his head and directly used an arm to lift up the burden on the child's back.

"Hey- huh?" The child was startled, but froze after their gazes met.

"Something like this is too heavy for a child to carry," he said while the child blinked up at him in confusion.

He patted the child's head while trying to get a better look at the child's condition.

It was far worse than what he had been able to see in the distance. Some of the wounds were infected and festering. Puss oozed from broken sores and the sickly pallor of the child's complexion was concerning.

Looking closely, Shirou concluded that the child in front of him was a boy.

"What's your name?" He asked carefully. "And why the heck is a child doing this kind of work?"

"Keel," the boy gave a strained smile despite the pain that the boy was in. "It's my job. I was asked to run errands."

What kind of employer forces a child to carry something so heavy?

Curious about the contents of the crates, he took a moment to inspect what was inside and felt his jaw tighten in disbelief.

Stones.

They were all stones with hardly any value.

This wasn't a delivery or a job, this was child torture.

His mouth thinned into a line, his hands balling into fists as he directly discarded the crates to the side under Keel's fearful gaze. "Now there's nothing to deliver," he said flatly, a trace of coldness in his tone. "And if your boss has any complaints, I'll deal with all of them. Personally."

Keel opened and closed his mouth before pursing his lips and staring at the ground.

Shirou wasn't sure what sort of thoughts Keel was having, but the despair on the young boy's face wasn't something that he could stomach.

He _really _had to have a talk with Keel's employer.

"Hey, how about I buy you something to eat?" He spoke up to lighten the mood. "You look starved."

Keel swallowed audibly at the prospect of food, his stomach growling. "R-Really?"

He nodded.

"Thanks!" Despite Keel's situation, his bright personality somehow still shone through albeit, if just a little subdued. A bout of pain from moving too actively forced Keel to whimper and recoil.

Keel bit down on his lips to prevent any outburst from escaping, but the action wasn't lost on Shirou.

A child shouldn't deserve this.

"Let me help clean those wounds first."

Without waiting for Keel's approval, he directly carried the ten-year old into his arms. He was far taller than Keel, to the point that Keel only reached up to his waist so the boy didn't actually weigh very much. He chose not to think about how thin Keel felt in his arms.

"What are you doing?" Keel's head kept darting left and right, Keel's body squirming in his grip.

Keel's strength compared to his own was pitiful. There was no way that Keel could escape, nor did he want that to happen. Keel's feet were bleeding. It wouldn't do to presently walk on them if at all.

"Keep still," he told her. "I'm just taking you to a small creak to help wash you off and help with your wounds."

Keel froze before tentatively turning around in his grip to peak up at his face.

"Why?" Keel asked with bright-blue coloured eyes. Keel's hands were balled into fists and pressing against his chest.

He stared down at Keel, not a break in his expression, but rather, his gaze was filled with compassion. "Do you need a reason to help someone in need?"

Keel looked down and didn't say anything anymore.

There was something in Keel's expression that was hard to read. However, Keel rebounded quickly and began to curiously look around her.

"Hold tight," he said as he positioned himself into a jumping start. "I'm going to speed up the pace."

Waiting for Keel to wrap his small arms around him, he took a breath and directly leapt into the air on reinforced legs.

Wind whipped violently across his face while the colour on Keel's face drained at a rapid rate. Keel firmly shut his eyes.

By the time that Keel opened his eyes again, it was to the sight of a slow-moving creak.

Stopping by the edge of the creak, Shirou soon arrived at a problem. He didn't have a change of clothes for Keel and he'd forgotten to consider such a thing on the way. Well, whatever, they were both guys in the first place so it wasn't like it mattered.

"Here, lets gets you clean," he said. He didn't have any soap at hand, but cleaning the dirt and grime from Keel using water was better than nothing.

Keel nodded stiffly before taking off his clothes in order to wash properly.

This was where the problem began.

Keel wasn't a boy.

Keel was a girl.

The moment that Shirou made the distinction, he directly pulled Keel's clothing back on. For her part, Keel looked entirely confused.

"A young girl shouldn't be so immodest in front of the opposite gender." He reprimanded with a sigh. He soon looked at the fabric of his current attire and tore off a large section which he then wrapped around Keel's waist. "This should do for now."

Keel tilted her head to the side but didn't make much of a fuss.

In the meantime, he took Keel and sat her down in the stream in front of him.

Tearing another piece of cloth from his clothing, he soaked the cloth in the water and began wiping down Keel's back.

Keel was silent during the process despite how energetic she had been before. Her dog ears were twitching left and right on top of her head as she got herself clean. Thereafter, she wore the same rags as before and finally looked up at him with uncertainty.

She was currently sitting on the ground, her legs sprawled in front of her.

"I'm a Demi-Human," she took the initiative to say as if the admission would change the way that he treated her.

"I'm a Human," he replied back flatly, using the time to dry Keel's hair with a cloth that he'd rung out.

Keel's brows furrowed before she tried again. "I'm a Demi-Human?"

Why did she sound like she was asking a question?

He stopped drying her hair in order to look Keel in the eyes.

"Does it really matter?" He asked her.

The kingdom of Melromarc didn't just have Humans, but another race known as Demi-Humans. Judging from Keel's treatment on the streets and her hesitation towards him, Demi-Humans were probably heavily discriminated against in the kingdom. However, that didn't mean that he was same as everyone else.

Keel swallowed audibly before changing attitudes and smiling up at him again.

"No. No it doesn't!" She let out a small laugh and tried to stand up.

"Oh no you don't." He sighed. Keel's feet weren't in a condition to walk. He'd just gotten the cuts near her ankles to stop bleeding. "What would your parents think if you acted so recklessly?"

"My parents are dead." The light in Keel's eyes dimmed.

O boy. Bad topic here.

Without wasting another second, he picked Keel up again and moved to fulfill his promise of a free meal in hopes of cheering her up.

The area by the creak wasn't very far away from the main market area of Melromarc so it wasn't difficult to find a restaurant. He had a hundred silver in his pocket so he wasn't concerned at all about the prospect of being unable to pay.

By the time that he reached the restaurant, he placed Keel down next to him and informed her to try walking on the balls of her toes rather than her heels where most of the cuts were placed. She did her best, but balancing was hard.

He took Keel's hand in order to support her.

"C'mon. Let's go." He said.

She nodded with a trace of anticipation.

He sat her down on a high-stool by the counter of the restaurant before calling the server over who passed out a menu. Looking at the restaurant's dishes, he soon decided what he would order as Keel held onto a fork and spook in each hand. She was glancing around curiously while swinging her legs back and forth from the high-stool.

"One regular meal, and this kid's special here," he said while pointing out the from the menu.

The server nodded professionally, but the expressions of the other patrons in the room were looking at Keel in disgust. Of course, Keel noticed and the jubilance on her face became strained.

She was just a child.

His eyes narrowed sharply before he shifted his body in order to cover a majority of the glares directed in Keel's direction. She stared up at him in surprise before lowering her head, her lips quivering. "Thanks," she said with a sniffle.

He didn't reply, too busy daring anyone else in the room to continue staring. Magical power was already flowing freely through him and all it would take a was a single thought to manifest a myriad of swords.

The situation didn't come to that.

"That man's part of the Shield Hero's party," a voice called out from the shadows in apprehension. Listening to it and noticing the absence of a speaker, he was quick to realize that it was the voice of the observer who'd been trailing him all day. He hummed in thought.

"H-He's a Hero's companion so he's definitely strong. I don't recommend getting into a fight."

A good choice.

He was already moments away from acting.

Everyone in the restaurant were adults. They shouldn't be directing such vicious stares on a little kid in the first place.

Giving a steel-eyed glare at the people around him, he failed to realize that Keel had been watching his actions from the very beginning. She bowed her head low when he turned his gaze back on her, but she continued to peak up at him from time to time until the food came.

The child's special resembled Hamburg Steak with a little flag pierced into the meat.

"Go ahead," he nodded for Keel to eat.

She wasted no time in doing so.

Keel had a large appetite. She finished her meal faster than it took for his own meal to arrive in front of him.

He smiled wryly.

"Here." He slid his ordered food in front of Keel to eat. "I'm not hungry."

She looked up at him, and then to the food before he heard a distinct sound that sounded too much like sobbing to his ears. It had been too long since anyone had ever shown Keel such kindness. He glanced down at the corner of his eyes only to see Keel crying while stuffing her mouth with food.

What a weird kid.

By the time lunch was over, it was almost time to meet back up Naofumi. Still, he looked down at Keel and suddenly understood that he didn't wish for her to return to her current employer.

He knelt down to Keel height and patter her on the head.

"Say," he began. "Want to come with me rather than working at your current place?"

Keel stiffened and subconsciously clung onto his right pant leg with her hands.

"I-I can't." Keel shook her head. "I'm a slave," she admitted.

What?

His brows knit together before he shook his head and resolved himself. It didn't matter about whatever laws Melromarc had about slavery. He could deal with it later because he couldn't just abandon a child for the sake of some absurd law. He could _feel_ Keel's hands trembling while she held onto his pant leg.

"All the more reason to come," he said sternly.

"No. I can't run." Keel shook her head again and turned around to reveal a mark at the back of her neck beneath her shoulder-length hair. It was a slave branding imbued with some kind of restrictive magic. "Master will kill me."

What a barbaric system.

He released a breath.

"Can you trust me, just this once Keel?" He asked her carefully while directing his magic energy towards his right palm.

Keel didn't say anything, but she eventually nodded her head after careful thought.

Good.

"Close your eyes," He said.

What he needed right now was a dagger of absolution. One that would sever all bonds and return everything to zero.

"Trace. On."

His magic circuits thrummed as a small wind manifested over his palm that blew back Keel's hair.

Legends told of a danger that belonged to a certain woman of Greek origin.

The ritual dagger of the Witch of Colchis, the woman who killed even her family.

It was a dagger that directly severed the bonds of magic and contracts alike.

A twisted knife of betrayal.

A crooked knife manifested in his grip, imbued with jewels along the hilt and rimmed with a tinge of ceremonial gold.

Rule Breaker.

No magic or contract could withstand its touch. Even the slave seal boded no chance.

"Keep still, alright?" He ruffled her hair reassuringly. "I promise that this won't hurt."

He gently pricked Rule Breaker over the spot where the slave seal was located.

Suddenly, Keel flinched as the sound of cracking glass resounded.

The slave brand shattered into fragmented pieces which dissipated like sand blown in the wind.

Keel opened her eyes to see him nodding at her.

"You're free," he spoke softly.

He pointed at Keel's reflection within the window of a market building.

The Seal was gone.

Keel's mouth shut closed before she suddenly hugged his leg and began whimpering. She couldn't speak even if she wanted to.

"Let's go," he said while picking her up. Keel didn't have any parents so he decided to take care of her in his time within Melromarc just until she could take care of herself.

Carrying Keel in his arms, he made the trip back to where he said that he'd meet back up with Naofumi. The journey back was uneventful, and if anything, the most that happened was that he scared his observer away by staring at the exact location that the observer hid each time. It wasn't his fault that the observer was using an enhancement magic that allowed him to detect her location.

Regardless, what he had to do right now was think about how he should explain Keel to Naofumi. He didn't want the man to get any ideas about him just because he decided to help a child in need.

As it would turn out, his explanation was unrequired.

He wasn't the only one to return with a child.

Rather than getting armor and weapons, Naofumi seemed to have had used his money on something else entirely.

"What the hell are you doing, Naofumi?" He asked in a low tone, his voice containing traces of sharpness while looking at the iron collar attached to a chain in Naofumi's grip.

The collar and chain themselves weren't a problem, but what was, was that the collar was latched onto a dirty hollow-eyed child with more bruises than Keel.

The child was around the same age as Keel with long brown hair and tanuki-like ears. The rags that the child was dressed in were even worse than Keel's and that was saying something because Keel's was awful.

Naofumi was still holding the heavy chains collared around the child's neck by the time that he arrived back with Keel. Worse, he could see the same kind of slave seal on the collared child. In this case, the child's new Master was obviously Naofumi.

"T-This isn't what it looks I swear!" Naofumi noticed the look in his eyes and was quick to yell out. However, the fact that he hadn't let go of the chain yet wasn't helping his case.

Noticing where he was staring at, Naofumi looked to his hand and hurriedly let go of the chains as if scalded. "I can explain!" he hurriedly said.

He stepped forward in order to question Naofumi, but Keel's voice beat him to the punch.

"R-Raphtalia?" It was almost hopeful. Desperate even.

The slave girl glanced up and a flicker of recognition appeared in her eyes.

"K-Keel?"

Naofumi finally took notice of Keel in Shirou's hands and pointed out with a shaking finger.

"You bastard you brought a child back too!"

Shirou's face sank.

Naofumi wasn't wrong.

Meanwhile, the both of them only had a single thought in regards to each other.

_'At least I had a reason!'_

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Next update: Fate in time**

**P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious**


	3. Before the Calamity: Part 2

The two stared at each other with an air of suspicion, but at the very least, they were logical enough to wait and hear an explanation before accusing each other of foul play.

They stared at each other with such intensity that the mood quickly darkened. In any country, city, or state, it was an offence of sorts to return from a trip and illegally bring back an unrelated child. Both Shirou and Naofumi came from their respective Japans, and the laws were generally the same.

"Well, Naofumi?" Shirou narrowed his eyes, expression stern.

Naofumi did not take Shirou's words lightly. "What do you mean, well? Why don't you look at yourself before calling out others?"

Shirou glanced down at Keel who he was still carrying in his arms. His lips twitched, a deep crease forming over his forehead before he released his grip on Keel and placed her on the ground. "…It's different," he reasoned stiffly.

"Yeah? Well this is different too," Naofumi hastily unlatched the chain that was still bound to the slave collar around Raphtalia's neck and set her free.

The two men stared at each other in silence which was soon broken by the scampering of a pair of feet.

Glancing down from where they were glaring at each other, Shirou and Naofumi turned their attention towards Keel and Raphtalia who had ran up to each other in a hug after being set loose. Keel's arms were wrapped around Raphtalia, and Raphtalia was sobbing. The both of them wore nothing more than torn white sheets and were bruised all over. It made one wonder what circumstances the two must have had gone through in their relatively short lives.

Children were more suited to play and laugh freely rather than cope by depending on each other's company in hard times. The former because it was an indication of a carefree life, well fed and optimistic for the future. The latter because it implied a life of oppression, grief, and heartache.

Much of the frost within Shirou and Naofumi's eyes thawed away to look at each other with weariness. The things that the both of them had seen today weighed down on their minds in more ways than one. For Shirou, he was used to seeing the cruelty of prejudice and atrocities that his fellow humans were capable of and so his countenance was simply grim, but Naofumi's was askance. The conditions that he'd seen Raphtalia forced to live in were even less accommodating than that of an ill-treated dog, but if anything, it wasn't the slave trader that was the cause of all the injuries. After all, the Slave trader wouldn't want to lower the quality of a product.

The two fell into silent contemplation. Neither of them said anything, but soon just nodded towards each other. They'd deal with explanations later. Right now, it was more important that they just let each other know their individual motivations in order to avoid any further misunderstandings.

"I saved her." They said at the same time while staring at each other incredulously.

"You what?" They echoed each other again.

Naofumi coughed into his hand and straightened his back. "I bought Raphtalia because she looked on the verge of dying in the Slaver's post."

"A Slaver's post?"

Naofumi deflated and hurriedly shook his hands in front of him. "There's an explanation for that I swear. I didn't actively look into it at the time, but I was swindled into coming by this kind gentleman."

A likely story. No really. Shirou actually believed it because he could picture the very same circumstances possibly occurring to him. It wouldn't be too far fetched either with the kind of circumstances that he'd already had to deal with in his life. He didn't question Naofumi any further and instead summarized his encounter with Keel.

"She was being forced into labour for no other reason than to cause her pain. I took her away from all of that in order to let her live freely," Shirou's explanation was curt and on point. It would be worse for him if he tried to hide what he'd done. "There may be some trouble with a Melromarc noble in the future as they are the most likely class of people to own slaves."

"Right." Naofumi nodded his head and accepted Shirou's explanation.

It didn't matter if neither of the two had any evidence for their words. At the very least, they had some degree of trust for each other built up through the observation of each other's characters. Besides, what mattered right now were the children in front of them.

"Keel," Shirou called out, causing the girl to look up at him.

Naofumi noted that the small fuzzy tail growing at Keel's back was wagging from side to side while her ears were slightly drooped as if she was self conscious.

"Y-Yes?" Keel stuttered before clapping her hands to her cheeks and pumping herself up. She then ran up to Shirou without any caution whatsoever.

Naofumi shut his mouth. He'd heard that children were generally trusting of strangers, but wasn't this level of trust too great already? He shook his head and decided to not question it. He had his own kid to deal with anyway. One who was looking lost at Keel with her head tilted to the side.

"Raphtalia," he called out.

Raphtalia grew startled at his call, but regardless, she tentatively made her way towards him. He'd just bought her recently and she was displaying an appropriate level of caution when compared to Keel. However, he inwardly felt bad that he was being stared at in such a way from a child.

Therefore, as soon as she got close enough, he placed a hand on her head and tussled her hair. "Relax a bit. No one here wants to hurt you or force you to do anything." He said while trying to sound reassuring.

But what were he and Shirou going to do about Keel and Raphtalia? Obviously, they couldn't force them to fight, but they couldn't just abandon the children either. His smile was somewhat strained, but the sentiments were genuine.

He sighed. He supposed he and Shirou would just have to deal with it as it was.

"Go play for a bit alright?" Incidentally, he echoed Shirou's words again.

The two glanced at each other wordlessly before huffing and turning away. Regardless if they accepted each other's explanations or not, the suspicion was still present. More so when each felt that their own reasons were justified and that the other's excuse was flimsy at best.

Keel and Raphtalia looked to each other before Keel nodded her head and ran up to Raphtalia who stared between Shirou and Naofumi. Keel then held Raphtalia's hand and the two wandered off towards a small open clearing by the temporary camp site Naofumi had made while waiting for Shirou.

Watching the two leave, it was only then that Shirou and Naofumi got down to business.

"How did the armour and weapon hunting go?" Shirou asked curtly while taking a seat in front of Naofumi who inclined his back against a tree.

Naofumi failed to answer, a finger scratching lightly at his cheek. Based on Naofumi's expression, Shirou could already tell the result of Naofumi's shopping. It went poorly.

As it would turn out, Raphtalia looked sick at the time of her purchase, and in order to help her, Naofumi explained that he'd used the last of his silver to buy her medicine. Her condition would stabilize in time.

"Well, I wouldn't say that you wasted the silver." Shirou actually displayed a look of approval, the creases over his forehead lightening. "But this situation isn't a game. You're going to need adequate armour and weapons to survive whatever this Wave of Calamity may throw at us."

Shirou had a point and Naofumi knew it.

To begin with, Naofumi had never heard of any game character or story where a shield was used as the main weapon. Sure, it probably had blunt damage if he rammed it hard enough against an enemy, but generally the trade off between a weapon of any kind and standard blunt force wasn't proportional.

"Sorry," Naofumi apologized. He could tell that Shirou was only looking out for his behalf.

Shirou nodded. "It's fine. As far as I'm concerned you did well."

Shirou inched closer to Naofumi and raised a hand up into the air, traces of magical energy congregating over his palm. He concentrated, and soon enough, a standard sword manifested in front of him. "For now, I can just make you a few weapons to use in the meantime. As for armours, that's going to be more difficult, but I have a few ideas in mind."

In truth, Shirou had wanted Naofumi to spend the silver on protective gear because he wasn't specialized in projecting anything other than weapons and the occasional shield. Nonetheless, it wasn't much of an issue for the time being. After all, his Traced weaponry didn't deteriorate in the new world that he was summoned into which meant that he could probably start a lucrative business as a weapon smith. If that venture failed, then his cooking could definitely earn the party some additional income.

"Thanks. I didn't think that a single person could be this reliable," Naofumi let out a breath in relief and reached out a hand towards the sword that Shirou offered.

However, moments after taking the sword into his hand, Naofumi bristled as a shock travelled through him and forced him to release his grip on the sword's hilt. "What the-"

Naofumi went to pick up the sword and ended up with the same sensation.

Shirou raised a brow and wordlessly traced a spear, mace, bow, and practically any other weapon that he could think about for Naofumi to test.

To Naofumi's growing dismay, nothing worked. He couldn't equip any other weapon than the shield already fastened tightly to his left arm.

[Owner of the Legendary Shield may not use any other weapon than a Shield]

A prompt came up from Naofumi's point of view, causing him to stiffen. "Bullshit. What kind joke is this?"

Naofumi scratched at his head and shared the new piece of information to Shirou who momentarily blanked. In Shirou's case, he felt like he'd just dodged a bullet when he remembered what had happened when he had traced copies of the Legendary Weapons.

Sweat suddenly matted his brow while his mouth dried. If the legendary weapons limited their user's choice of weapon, then didn't that mean that he had been seconds away from limiting his own armoury of weapons gathered throughout his life?

The thought caused him to shiver because he understood that his greatest strength in Tracing was versatility. There was nothing versatile about always pulling out a sword, a shield, a bow, or a spear.

Naofumi looked gloomy after the revelation. However, he really had no reason to be.

"There's nothing wrong with one who protects rather than harms," Shirou advised strongly. "More often than not, people are at their strongest when they have something to protect." The same went for him. He'd only ever gotten strong out of a desire to save others.

Naofumi did not look convinced. His brows were knitted together and he constantly tapped a finger against his thigh. "But I'd prefer being able to attack rather just waiting for the enemies to hit me," he continued to sulk.

Shirou placed a hand beneath his chin in thought before deciding to use another form of magecraft.

Altercation. It was a magecraft that allowed him to change the properties and shape of an object. It was what he used to form his sword-arrows by shifting their forms to be sleeker and more aerodynamic.

Right before Naofumi's eyes, he projected a flat and sturdy shield before then using Altercation and forming jagged blades on the edges and a chain that attached to the forearm. It looked intimidating for a shield and when Shirou threw it in a circular motion with the chain still attached to his arm, the blades over the shield spun like a saw through the air.

The shield struck against a nearby tree and tore it apart near the base, causing the whole tree to topple.

Keel and Raphtalia who were playing in the distance looked over in shock while Naofumi suddenly found himself standing firmly on his feet.

Shirou pulled the shield through the attached chain back towards him where he caught it by the handle. "Try this." He offered the altered shield to Naofumi who took it gingerly.

[Traced Series Shield Branch: Activated]

[Chain Shield Acquired: lvl 1]

[Descriptive Remark: The Greatest Defence is Attack]

[Atk: + 20]

[Def: + 10]

[Unique Ability: Splash Damage]

[Splash Damage: Randomly damages enemies near point of impact]

"Wow," Naofumi couldn't help but marvel and stare at Shirou like he was some sort of godsend.

"Did it work?" Shirou asked.

Naofumi had trouble responding. He just nodded his head before collecting himself. "Yeah it works," he verified. "Thank you. This seems very useful."

Right as Naofumi was talking, the Legendary Shield on his arm suddenly shifted into the form of the Chain Shield, meaning that the copy that Shirou had traced was no longer necessary.

"Uhm cool," Naofumi didn't see any problems with it, but Shirou raised his brow in speculation.

How did that work exactly? Shirou thought inwardly. Moreover, the better question was if it could do the same with other shields and work the same way as his Unlimited Blade Works. Could Naofumi and the other Heroes have an ability to let them store specific weapons and shields and pull them out when the situation required?

It was a question for another time and one that he didn't have the luxury to presently test with Naofumi. After all, Keel and Raphtalia had returned with growling stomachs.

He patted Keel on the head and nodded at Raphtalia before looking to Naofumi to see if he had bought anything that they could eat.

The answer was no.

Naofumi had used all of his silver on Raphtalia.

"Wait here. I'll go hunting for a bit," he said before Tracing a bow and readying himself.

Of course, Shirou knew that he and Naofumi had the option of finding a place to stay in Melromarc, but the people there didn't take kindly to Keel or Raphtalia. Moreover, Shirou felt that something wasn't quite right with King Aultcray and the people in power within the Kingdom.

It was better to be safe than sorry which was why he had convinced Naofumi to camp out doors.

"I'll be back in half an hour or so," he said before departing swiftly. Keel opted to try following him, but he signalled for Naofumi to stop her. There was no way that Keel was at the level to keep up with his hunting pace in her present condition anyway.

Left alone, Naofumi watched Keel stare blankly at Shirou's departing form with an outstretched hand. Afterwards, Keel looked at Naofumi with accusing eyes as if blaming him for stopping her.

Keel was a kid. He just chose to ignore her for the time being in order to find a way to remove the metal slave collar around Raphtalia's neck.

"Here, let me see it for a bit," He moved to sit next to Raphtalia who hesitated, but allowed him into her personal space.

Raphtalia wasn't stupid. In fact, she didn't how to feel about Naofumi yet, only that she was truly grateful for his aid. Not only for buying her, but because he'd even gone as far as to purchase her medicine.

Out of all the other slaves in the Slaver's post, she was by far the least valuable, but he'd still chosen her, a Demi-Human. Her mind in confusion, she looked at him frowning while fiddling with the collar around her neck.

"Damn thing, how do I get this off?" His tone sounded exasperated, the irritation on his face causing a bubble of amusement to well up from within her. Unlike the cold hands that sought to harm her, his hands felt warm and caring to the point that she subconsciously pressed her cheeks against them seeking their warmth. "Big sis Sadeena," she murmured out the name of a distant caretaker that both she and Keel knew.

Naofumi looked confused, but he didn't question Raphtalia about anything. So long as she was fine, then that was what mattered.

Behind Raphtalia, Keel grunted as if saying that Shirou was a better comparison to Sadeena. Still, Keel looked at Naofumi and couldn't help but be reminded of Shirou in some ways. Inwardly she decided that Naofumi wasn't so bad either.

"There!" Naofumi jabbed a finger to unhook a mechanism within the slave collar that released the latch around Raphtalia's neck.

With a clang, the slave collar clattered to the ground.

Naofumi patted Raphtalia on the head, causing her eyes to glance up at him and stare transfixed at the grin on his face.

"Now you're free," he spoke before pausing when he noticed the slave crest still on her skin. "Well, mostly. I'll find a way to get rid of it eventually so bear with me for a bit?"

"Mmh," Raphtalia nodded while sniffling. "T-Thank you."

"No worries," Naofumi stood up and tended to a camp fire that he'd made earlier.

If Shirou was hunting, then they'd obviously be cooking food on their own. Therefore, Naofumi figured he'd at least do his part as the Shield Hero Party Leader and not be so much of a burden on a fellow Party member.

Keel and Raphtalia sat off to the side and watched Naofumi work in the distance.

Looking at the two kids, Naofumi had many questions springing up to the forefront of his mind, but chose to keep them to himself for the time being. The two must have experienced a few traumatic events to somehow end up with their current lives.

Sitting adjacent to Keel and Raphtalia, Naofumi prodded the camp fire with a stick, letting the kindle burn brighter and send small embers drifting amidst the cold wind.

It was times like these that he was steadily beginning to solidify the concept that he was in fact within a new world. He stared at the bruises and clotted cuts over Keel and Raphtalia's skin.

It was torture on a level of a life sentence in jail in his previous world.

The reason he and Shirou probably accepted each others explanation of saving their individual kids was mostly because of the injuries that were inflicted on them.

The fire crackled in front of him, long tongues of flickering flame illuminating the area around as the evening set in.

Keel and Raphtalia huddled together for warmth, prompting him to take off his coat and wrap it around them. They didn't even know how to thank him. The realization that they'd never been shown such kindness in a long time or if at all, left a bitter taste in his mouth.

It made him understand that the world around him wasn't just a game. Although the weapons, menus, and icon prompts were all too game like, the people living in the world were real. They would be relying on him because he was one of their Four Legendary Heroes.

_With his sturdy back at the forefront of the charge, let no attack fall upon those that stood behind him._

_A body as strong as rock. _

_A will that blankets the sky and shrouds all with the warmth of protection. _

The Hero of the Shield.

Heroes didn't have to be people that were strong, rather, a Hero that could protect all from harm didn't sound half bad at all.

_'People are at their strongest when they have something to protect.' _

A part of him seemed to finally understand the true meaning of what Shirou had meant in his words.

Waiting patiently for Shirou's return, he entertained the children by telling them about old folk stories from his hometown until eventually a loud thumping began to resound.

Glancing up towards the edge of the clearing by the creak, Naofumi and the others were greeted by the sight of Shirou hauling a large boar over his shoulders, the weight of which was creating loud foot falls.

"Dinner's here," he grinned while hearing Keel and Raphtalia's stomachs growling.

It wasn't the first time that Shirou had been camping in the wild so he was accustomed to the lifestyle. He laid the dead boar down and began the process of cooking it, Naofumi watching on the sidelines while covering Keel and Raphtalia's eyes.

Fifteen minutes later and roasted pork was served with a light berry garnish.

"I didn't know that you could cook," Naofumi stared in a daze at the empty fork in front of him as he chewed. His eyes then darted towards a new notification he'd just obtained. "I think I can cook like this too with a bit of practice."

"Well, you never asked if I could cook or not." Shirou dismissed the knives that he'd traced.

It may have had just been part of Naofumi's imagination, but he could have had sworn that he had felt a trace of killing intent when he'd implied taking over cooking duty in the future.

But why? It was just cooking wasn't it?

Shirou smile seemed somewhat strained so Naofumi didn't pursue the matter.

Meanwhile, Keel was staring at Shirou as if he was some sort of deity while wolfishly shovelling down bite after bite of food. Raphtalia was no different if just a tad bit more reserved. Keel and Raphtalia may have had been small, but they were still Demi-Humans whose appetites were difficult to judge at a glance.

Dinner was soon over as night descended over the land.

Mama Shirou acted like the mom of the group and was the one who helped clean up the food stains that both Keel and Raphtalia had made a large mess out of. Their cheeks were covered with grease and their fingers were all sticky. It had probably been the first large meal that the two had eaten in a long time. Naofumi did his part by tending to the fire. He would have had washed the dishes if Shirou hadn't already commandeered the duty just because it was kitchen related. Any insistence on Naofumi's part was met by a provocative glare.

_'My Kitchen.' _

It was as if Naofumi could read what Shirou was thinking even without speaking.

He wisely let the matter go until everything was cleaned up. Eventually, the time to sleep came.

The temperature was warm and allowed for outdoor camping. What was fortunate was that before Shirou had met Keel, he'd already bought a few bed rolls to sleep on during the course of a long journey. Of course. he bought extra just in case one of them broke.

Four bed rolls were laid out side by side with a foot's distance separating each, all out in the open and facing the moon above.

Shirou lay on the far-left side and Naofumi on the far right. The children were sandwiched in between the both of them.

"We can continue grinding experience tomorrow after settling everything," Naofumi spoke first. He was lying down while resting his head over his palms. "Moreover, what should we do with the kids?"

Keel and Raphtalia's ears perked up.

Shirou scratched his cheek. "Well, why don't we just add them to the party for the time being? That way they can get strong enough to protect themselves even without us. What do you think Keel? Raphtalia?"

"Yes!" Keel's response was curt. There was no hesitation whatsoever and her tail was wagging from side to side.

"T-Thanks," Raphtalia's was more subdued.

"Then its settled. Now get some sleep." Naofumi turned over onto his side. He'd never expected his life in another world to start off by taking care of kids. Well, it's not like he was complaining.

The group fell into silence, the sound of birds cawing and rustling leaves echoing within the forested area.

Minutes passed, then several before both Shirou and Naofumi became aware of a distinct change. Presently both of their eyes were closed so it appeared as if they were deep in sleep. However, this wasn't the case. They were still wide awake.

Opening his eye lid by a tiny crack, Shirou spotted Keel tentatively sneaking into his bed roll in order to snuggle up against his leg. Naofumi's situation was no different as Raphtalia clumsily made her way into his bedroll to sleep.

Naofumi's eye glanced in Shirou's direction prompting the two's eyes to meet.

'Shut up. Don't question it.' Shirou spoke with his expression.

Keel and Raphtalia must have had been through a lot in their childhoods for them to be unable to sleep comfortably on their own. No, more than that, they were probably seeking the kind of warmth garnered from a trusted figure.

Both Shirou and Naofumi wanted them to recover both mentally and physically before inquiring about their circumstances so the two decided to drop the current matter.

'Agreed.' Naofumi responded back before closing his eyes.

Shirou followed suit.

* * *

When Naofumi woke up the next morning, he felt far more refreshed than he did in his stay in castle Melromarc. Maybe it was just him, but the bedding that he had been provided there felt stone hard compared to the softness of the bed roll that Shirou had bought.

Speaking of which, Shirou had asked him to shop around in order to purchase Keel and Raphtalia actual clothes. The issue of money was something that Shirou said that he'd deal with so all Naofumi had to do was find some suitable clothes. Shirou had discussed the issue with him the previous night around the campfire so it wasn't as if Naofumi was uninformed.

Honesty, it felt good to have a reliable partner.

He pushed himself up into a seated position and rubbed the sleep from his eyes before shifting his attention to stare at where Shirou had slept the previous night. However, the man was already gone.

Shirou must have had already left in order to earn some money.

Damn that guy was attentive.

He blinked while looking at a neatly folded bed roll and Keel tucked comfortably under several layers of blankets. Shirou had obviously tucked her in before he had left. Her limbs were sprawled into a mess from beneath the covers, but her arms were firmly wrapped around a roll of cloth. Shirou must have had substituted the roll of cloth for his leg which Keel had been clinging onto the previous night.

Speaking of which, Naofumi's situation was hardly any different. Only that he probably wasn't as skilled as Shirou in order to successfully free his own leg that Raphtalia was hugging onto.

Expectedly he woke her up. Moreover, he grudging chose to ignore the wetness that he felt on his leg and the mortified expression on Raphtalia's face.

It didn't happen.

It didn't.

He'd probably just spilled water on himself while sleeping the previous night.

Raphtalia's face only became redder and redder the longer he tried to maintain the stoicism of his face. "It's fine. Leave it alone. Kids do these sorts of things anyway. Playing with water in the night is common."

Water. Right. So long as he believed it was water, then it was definitely water.

He stood up, woke up Keel, and then fed the kids breakfast that Shirou had left behind before leaving. The seasoned ham-sandwiches tasted pretty good.

With breakfast settled, it was time to get to the matter at hand.

He stared at both Keel and Raphtalia before deciding to take them into the city.

The two were still wearing nothing more than rags and it didn't help his personal image as the Shield Hero. It was already bad enough as it was, and if he didn't get the message from the previous day's outing on his own, then he would have had truly been an idiot.

The 'Shield Hero' was not very well received in Melromarc. He'd thought that it was only King Aultcray in the beginning, but certain vendors and townspeople stared at him with such grudging animosity that it was impossible for him not to notice.

It was uncomfortable.

Everywhere that he had went the previous day whether it was to purchase supplies or equipment, there would always be one or two people glowering at him within the crowds. He honestly blamed the animosity of the people in Melromarc for why he'd somehow ended up in a Slaver's trading post where he'd bought Raphtalia with a majority of his silver. It spoke volumes when the Slave Trader treated him as more of customer than actual legal vendors. Now if only the Slave Trader _wasn't_ a Slave Trader, he'd call the man friend and willingly recommend the man's services to others.

Sighing, he walked Keel and Raphtalia into town where the two got preoccupied with staring at a group of kids playing with a child-sized rubber ball.

The two really were children.

Naofumi scratched his head while staring at the handful of silvers that Shirou had given him from Shirou's share of the money. It wasn't much because Shirou had used a majority of his portion of the money for bed rolls and supplies, but it was definitely enough to buy whatever ball that the children in front of him were playing with.

Fuck it.

While Keel and Raphtalia were fixated on the group of kids, he walked up to a street vendor and purchased a ball for Keel and Raphtalia to play with.

The two stared at him in awe when he came back.

"Here," he said while handing the ball into Raphtalia's hands. She shuddered.

"Why?" She asked him.

"Well, why not?" he smiled back kindly.

Raphtalia swallowed before sniffling. Keel placed a hand on Raphtalia's shoulder as if reassuring her that such kind people still existed in the world.

"Now go play for a bit, but don't go too far." He shooed Keel and Raphtalia away. He was just going clothes shopping anyway and he had his own younger siblings that he'd used to shop for. Therefore, he already had experience. He'd be fine on his own.

Keel and Raphtalia went and found themselves a spot to play while he moved on to the browse for clothing.

The vendors greeted him curtly, but didn't pay much attention to him after. It wasn't like it mattered.

He inwardly grunted at the treatment of the Shield Hero but he was more horrified to see the prices for the clothes that the vendor was selling.

D-Did kid's clothes actually cost that much?

His eye bugged out while staring at the number in front of him and then towards the silver in his hands.

He directly walked out of the store.

How was Shirou going to make enough money for everything? What did he mean leave the remainder on a tab? This was basically robbery. In fact, he had vague suspicion that the shop owner swapped the prices upon seeing him, the bitch. What was worse was that the vendor had still been smiling at him as if she'd done nothing wrong.

Bear with it.

Such petty people were undeserving of any sort of reaction.

He soon found himself back on the open streets, his shoulders slumping. This task was going to be harder than he had thought.

"Is that you, Lord Naofumi?" A woman suddenly called out to him, a soft smile on her face.

He turned to stare at her.

The woman had obviously been running because her red bangs matted themselves over her forehead from a light sheen of sweat. She was beautiful, her figure striking in the tight leather armour that she was wearing.

"Ms. Myne." It was the one woman that had opted to join him in his party when no one else other than Shirou chose to do so. Unfortunately, Shirou had made him decline the woman's offer due to some sort of suspicion. Speaking of which, why was she calling him out now of all times? "Is there anything that I can help you with?" He asked.

Myne nodded enthusiastically. "Actually yes. I've honestly been looking for you everywhere. My father said that you never booked any accommodations within Melromarc so finding you has been quite hard."

Is that so? Looking at how exhausted Myne looked, he inwardly felt guilty that he'd been leading her on a wild goose chase because he'd chosen to camp out in the wild. "Well, what was it that you needed me for?"

"Uhm, this," Myne carefully took out an invitation card that she'd been keeping in a pouch by her side. "On behalf of the King of Melromarc, I wanted to invite you to attend a banquet that the King is hosting with the other Heroes and High Aristocracy."

A banquet with the King? Somehow, he wasn't moved in the slightest regarding the offer. He felt better off buying Keel and Raphtalia actual clothes and then use the remainder of his time to speed level with Shirou.

"Sorry," he scratched at the back of his head. "I'm going to have to decline," he said apologetically. "Prior commitments and all."

"Oh," Myne said softly before hunching her shoulders and staring listlessly at the ground. "That's unfortunate. I was hoping that you would come."

Seeing her so disappointed at his rejection made him uncomfortable. More so because she'd always been so nice to him. "Well, maybe some other time?" He tried a different method to turn her down.

She smiled weakly in response as if seeing right through him. "With the Waves of Calamity, no one ever knows if there will even be a 'next time.' Are you certain that you won't reconsider? The banquet itself is more of a formality to introduce the Heroes to the members of state and government to garner increased support by those of influence."

He hesitated and Myne could instantly see that he was wavering. Besides, she wasn't wrong in her words, just that his situation was a little different. No one else knew the kind of abilities that Shirou possessed, and frankly, out of the four legendary heroes, Shirou was probably the only legitimate Hero among them. Itsuki and Ren were High schoolers while he and Motoyasu were college students. Shirou was actually a wandering mage Hero of sorts. There was no comparison about their origin stories at all.

Still, no matter how he tried to find an excuse to turn her down, Myne was persistent.

"No Hero should fight alone," she insisted on his behalf, pouncing on his previous hesitation with a hopeful expression. There was a red colouration forming over the ridge of her upper cheeks while her eyes glanced up coyly at him, her thumbs fidgeting over her clasped hands. "And if anything, you are a person that I'd like to know a little better if possible."

D-Did she just?

His mouth opened deftly at Myne's words, and all that he could do was look at her in stunned silence while she turned her face away, the tips of her ears heated. "Don't stare. It's rude," she chastised with a pout.

"No, I, ugh, sorry," he promptly shut his mouth lest he make more of a fool of himself. However, he was flattered. Considering Myne's previous kindness and willingness to reach out to him when no one else but Shirou had in Aultcray's reception hall, he decided to compromise.

"About the banquet, can I get some time to think about it?" He asked.

In all honesty, he was starting to doubt whether or not Shirou's caution towards Myne was even justified to begin with? Shirou may have had been something of a real-life Hero, however, that didn't mean that Heroes couldn't make mistakes. Just by looking at Myne, he could practically feel her sincerity. She earnestly wished for him to attend the banquet hosted at Melromarc's main castle.

"Please do. I wouldn't want to force you," Myne waved her hands in front of her in a small gesture of assurance. "Besides my personal motives, I just thought that it also would be a good place for you to foster better relations with the other Heroes. Although you can't form parties with them, that doesn't mean that the four of you won't work together during the Waves of Calamity."

So, she was only insisting that he go out of concern for his own behalf? The thought caused him to swallow.

"You're right," he couldn't help but admit.

Myne preened at the opportunity that she could see before her eyes.

"Moreover, you can also use the banquet to find a way to better your self-image. You never know, maybe you could form a larger party than just one individual?" She pressed while the iron was hot.

Now that Myne mentioned it, there only seemed to be benefits to attending.

Just as Naofumi was wavering on an answer, the sound of a rolling ball caught his attention.

"Ah?" A small gasp echoed out in his ear.

He turned around to see Raphtalia picking up the ball that he'd just bought her earlier to play with in her free time with Keel. She held it with two hands before she then hugged it tight to her chest. All the while, she was staring at him talking with Myne with a pair of curious eyes.

Keel wasn't too far behind but she stared at Myne with a cautious look just like Shirou had. Keel's intuition could sense that something felt off about Myne, like the smiles and gestures were too sugar-coated to be real.

Seeing Myne staring at her, Raphtalia cautiously dropped the ball that she was playing with and quickly ran up to hide behind Naofumi's leg, peeking out from time to time as Keel imitated her actions.

Myne looked curious about Keel and Raphtalia, but she held back her curiosity in favour of waiting for Naofumi's answer.

Naofumi made up his mind at that moment while looking at Keel and Raphtalia. The two had definitely been subject to harsh treatment by the nobles of Melromarc which greatly reduced any of his expectations about meeting them. Moreover, the two definitely wouldn't be comfortable if he attended such a banquet.

It was probably for the best that he talked with Shirou about things first before deciding everything on his own.

"I really will need a bit more time to decide," he tried to ignore the way that Myne flinched at his words, but he inwardly decided that he'd make it up to her somehow.

"A pity," Myne said.

The mood instantly became awkward as silence plunged between the two.

"Uhm, yeah, well I best be going. There are still a few things that I have to do." Naofumi unable to withstand the awkwardness quickly took Raphtalia and Keel by the hands and led them off shopping somewhere else.

Raphtalia held onto her ball with one hand while Keel seemed to growl in Myne's direction.

Naofumi ended up apologizing for Keel's behaviour, but Myne didn't seem to mind and kindly waved Naofumi off to have a good day.

However, once Naofumi had left, the expression on Myne's face abruptly changed into impassivity.

She bit down on the nail of her thumb and crossed her arms over her chest.

Damn it. A failed attempt.

She stared at Naofumi's retreating back before huffing her chest.

This wasn't over.

She left as quickly as she came.

Meanwhile, in another part of town, Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu's interest became peaked when an advanced weapon shop that shouldn't have had been in the beginner area that they remembered suddenly appeared.

It was called 'The Iron Forge.'

* * *

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**P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious**

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**Summary of book:**

**Death. Grief. Ruin. Nothing was left unchanged after an unexplained tragedy led to the loss of millions across the world in key locations. Cities were reduced to wastelands of steel and concrete, and many were forced into migration. When events leading to the prior tragedy occur once more, Kevin Black was going to have to learn that sometimes mysteries were better left unsolved. Trapped with his friends in the world of a ruined city filled with monsters, the journey out would be far more perilous than the journey in.**


	4. Before the Calamity: Part 3

When was the last time he had to care about money? Money had always been something trivial for him, a means to an end, but Shirou had to admit that it had its uses even in another world the first of which meant not sleeping on a road. He was used to a life of travel, and had no problems sleeping outdoors himself, but he was no longer alone.

He was part of a 'party,' as Naofumi would call it, and he had to keep the interests of his party in mind. Naofumi was old enough to look out for himself, yet a single observation of the man revealed his utter lack of survival experience. Naofumi could handle one or two nights in the woods with a thick blanket, but it definitely showed on his face as fatigue. Worse, Raphtalia, the little girl Naofumi had bought out of slavery with the lion's share of funds was looking guiltier each day.

Naofumi for all his kindness, failed to see that each attempt at consoling Raphtalia at his expense was only making the child feel terrible. Naofumi would pat Raphtalia on the head and coax her to take the medicine he'd purchased with the last of his money in order to cure the fever she'd been hiding. Raphtalia knew Naofumi could have used the funds to purchase an actual bedroll or comfort items, but he didn't. He'd bought her clothing, necessities, and a ball to play with Keel instead.

Keel attempted her own form of bravado to ease Raphtalia's concerns, but Keel herself became a problem without even realizing it.

Sometimes good intentions lead to bad results.

Keel just wanted to help and make things easier for everyone including Raphtalia. She excelled in everything she did such as washing laundry in the river and foraging for edible plants while Shirou hunted. Shirou would only have to explain to her once regarding how to do something, and Keel would accomplish it with a gusto. In comparison, Naofumi was constantly fixing Raphtalia's mistakes and doing extra laundry when Raphtalia wet the bed in her sleep.

So…no. Keel wasn't helping at all. Competition begets envy, and Shirou had caught Raphtalia looking more than once at Keel with pursed lips. Her self-confidence was likely at rock bottom, and Naofumi hadn't even noticed.

Naofumi saved Raphtalia from slavery, and the man was sincerely taking it upon himself to look after her. Shirou found no fault in Naofumi's actions, as he himself was doing the same for Keel. Children shouldn't have to endure a life of hardship. It was the role of the parent or guardian to nurture the children without exposing them too early to the adult world.

Shirou didn't say anything, but his impression of Naofumi was far higher than any of the Heroes summoned. If he could make things easier for Naofumi, he already would have. For all his skills, he wasn't orientated towards creating items such as beds, fabrics, and other such commodities. He couldn't help Naofumi other than finding more leaves to create a small bed with.

Camping without supplies was always horrid for the average person. Shirou just hoped Naofumi could endure a few more sleepless nights as he got things in order to garner funds.

Food wasn't a problem since Shirou constantly hunted and cooked food from wild game and gathered vegetation, so at least they weren't hungry.

Thinking back to his party, Shirou reaffirmed his current goal. He was presently in the central plaza of the Melromarc Kingdom making his way back from a smithy he'd seen the previous day while Naofumi took the kids shopping.

He soon stared at the fruits of his labour that he'd been working on in order to earn a decent amount of silver for traveling. He'd Traced a few weapons of each category and made an agreement with Erhard the blacksmith to advertise weapons of the 'Iron Forge' in his shop. Th proceedings would be split ninety-ten. Ninety to him, and ten to Erhard due to the sheer quality of the weapons drawing Erhard's respect. Of course, the contract had its own conditions as well that he'd set prior to haggling out a new business venture.

Ever since he'd seen the scene of Naofumi's shield taking on the characteristics of the Chain Shield, the suspicion that the other Heroes could do the same grew stronger from within him.

In respect to not getting hood-winked by the other Heroes to get free weapons, he made it clear to Erhard that the weapons can only be viewed from a display case. No tests, no performance trials. It was controversial since no man would purchase a weapon that he hadn't personally wielded, but soon enough, all would know the quality of a weapon created by the Iron Forge.

Grinning to himself now that all the groundwork had been set up, he felt as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

Now then, time to get back to Naofumi and perhaps do some monster hunting. Monster drops could be sold at the market which could be even more profitable than his new business venture.

At this point in time, perhaps he should have considered the ramifications of putting Noble Phantasms out in display, and the fact that a passing appraiser would soon mistakenly classify the weapons as Hero weapons that chose their wielders. Not everyone had access to the magic required to activate them.

Itsuki, Ren, and Motoyasu would all be drawn in by the rumours much like the rest of Melromarc.

* * *

A white wolf prowled over a distant plain, it's black nose twitching as it caught the scent of blood, causing its eyes to redden with the thrill of the hunt. It's silk-like fur hardened while frilling up, creating a tough hide able to effectively neutralize most physical attacks. Jagged teeth over an elongated snout dripped with a type of viscous black poison that corroded the ground where it landed.

[Poison Dire Wolf Leader. lvl ?]

Naofumi gulped when he saw the words over the wolf's head, tentatively raising up his shield, but feeling far too vulnerable at the fact that he was so under-leveled that he couldn't see the monster's level. The stress of the past few days was getting to him not only because of the suddenness of his summons, but due to the weight of responsibility and inexperience.

Bags had formed under his eyes from the sleepless nights he'd spent in the woods. His body was unaccustomed to hard surfaces and constantly sought out a soft bed to sleep on, but to no avail. His muscles were tense while dull aches throbbed over his upper and lower back. He honestly didn't know how many more sleepless nights he could take, but he had to watch out for Raphtalia just as Shirou watched out for Keel.

Naofumi sucked in a breath, and let all the tension leave him as a twisted arrow pierced through the Dire wolf's neck and killed it instantly.

"That's the last of them," Shirou said panting after leaping over from a tall cliff face. His party member was a beast in human skin.

The dire wolf's body collapsed in a heap, dropping a few materials that appeared slightly hovering over the ground. The constant ding of level-up notifications was something Naofumi had long since gotten accustomed to in the past few hunts Shirou had led to any monster areas Melromarc Knights warned were too dangerous.

_Ah, the wonders of power leveling or boosting as others may call it. _

He stared at Shirou with an expression that couldn't be described. By now, the both of them were probably so far ahead of the heroes in levels that it was actually kind of pitiful. The thing about smaller parties was that there was less experience and loot shared.

"Here," Shirou tossed the wolf drops to him. "For your shield," Shirou specified before throwing the rest of the materials into a bag. "We can sell the rest. Soon we'll have enough to rent a hotel, though I have a half-a-mind to believe they're purposely overcharging us."

Naofumi knew what Shirou meant, but the gratitude welling up from within him had its own form of debilitation. As conflicted as he was about Melromarc's fraudulent sale's practices, frankly, he felt more conflicted with all the help Shirou was giving him without a word of future compensation. It felt like he was taking advantage of him, and Shirou never failed to try and make things easier for him. All this led to a single thought. Shirou was a great guy that Naofumi swore he'd both protect and repay for all the kindness.

"Thanks," Naofumi said dully in his daze.

[Level Up]

The final notification came within his periphery vision before he moved the Poison Dire Wolf's materials over his shield and activated an ability of his legendary weapon. The material touched the jewel of his shield, and abruptly disintegrated as a new notification appeared in front him.

[Poison Dire Wolf Shield Series unlocked.]

An entire skill tree appeared in his view before he dismissed it to review later. He wasn't an idiot to multitask in a monster area where a random bunny could probably one-shot him.

Anyway, the ability of his shield which he just used is called **Absorption**. By bringing certain parts of a defeated monster to his shield, his shield could take those materials and allow the shield to take the characteristics of the items. The new shields are stored within his primary shield under specific skill trees he'd only need to call upon.

"Sorry for dragging you down," he said to Shirou after the Dire Wolf materials faded completely. "I'll make it up to you later when I reach a similar level."

Like the last seven times, Shirou waved him off with a sheepish grin. "Don't worry about it. I leveled up too. Besides, I may be good at fighting, but you're the one who has more knowledge about this 'game' thing."

Here, Naofumi found himself finding a stable purchase to stand on. For as strong as Shirou was, he seemed far too out of touch with modern past times.

"I recommend investing points into mana regeneration or anything to do with magic reserves," Naofumi listed his advice for Shirou's benefit. At least this way, he didn't feel like he was the only one benefitting from the party. "You use a lot of this 'magecraft' which I assume means spells for SP, so wouldn't that mean that you could fire an endless number of swords?"

Naofumi watched as a flicker of surprise appeared over Shirou's face, giving Naofumi the confidence to elaborate a but further. "I'm not sure how your passive magic regeneration works, but in theory, if you put enough points into it, then if it offsets the consumption rate of your swords, wouldn't that mean that shooting them would have no cost?"

"…"

Shirou made an interesting sort of face, one that seemed to war with the impossibility of the idea, but at the same time seeing the possibility due to the game-like features.

"I'll keep your word in mind," Shirou eventually settled on saying. "For now, we should head back to camp. Keel and Raphtalia get anxious if we leave them alone for too long."

This was an understatement, and both Shirou and Naofumi knew it. The kids were traumatized from an event that supposedly killed their entire town before being forced into slavery. They were deprived of the warmth of their parents or guardians, and forced to endure circumstances where they may have had to watch friends die from abuse. There was no way that they wouldn't be mentally scarred in some way. The both of them were almost ten-years old and neither was comfortable sleeping on their own, preferring to sleep next to each other or sneaking to lie by either Shirou or Naofumi's side.

The two of them had probably not taken a single step away from where they'd been left to behave in camp.

"We could have taken them with us..." Naofumi trailed off.

"And that is highly irresponsible. Even you suggested killing monsters from a distance because they were too dangerous. At least you have a shield if they get close to you, but Raphtalia and Keel have nothing in the case of an emergency. We'll take them when they're older or less traumatized."

"Fair point." Naofumi composed himself and stood up straight. "Speaking of which, what do you think of attending a banquet in the palace?"

"A banquet?" Shirou asked to clarify before he shook his head. "I may have some reservations with the palace, but the only thing that matters is whether or not you wish to go? I've realized that I haven't been letting you do much leading despite you referring to yourself as 'party leader.'"

Naofumi hummed in thought, thinking about the benefits Myne had spoken of. She seemed like a nice girl that meant well, and compared to the reception he and Shirou received so far, he felt like she was worth getting to know. "I'd like to attend. If anything, if Motoyasu and the others are there, we can talk together and maybe come up with a plan for the wave of calamity? They may not seem like the most approachable people, but they're allies all the same."

It was a viable option, and one that Shirou conceded the point to Naofumi who brightened at Shirou's acceptance. "Let's head back. We can't just leave Keel and Raphtalia alone for too long," Naofumi said eagerly.

"Well, I set up a magic barrier (Bounded Field in magus terms) around the area, but you're right. It's probably best to return."

Shirou and Naofumi packed up their things and quickly made their way back to camp. Shirou served as the main unit of transport by tying a rope to an arrow attached to an enlarged version of Naofumi's shield which the two sat on. Every time the shield would dip in trajectory, Shirou would fire another arrow attached to a separate rope hung loosely on the shield.

"I think I'm going to die," Naofumi was holding on for dear life. "How did you even think of this?!"

"Would you rather walk through that?" Shirou gestured for Naofumi to look down, and when he did, he saw hordes of various over-levelled monsters that had the potential to kill them both.

_Point taken. _Naofumi promptly shut up and let Shirou take them back to camp where the shield crashed against the ground and slid to a halt.

It was time to prepare for a banquet.

* * *

Keel moved to take a spot on Shirou lap, the both of them seated at a table facing Naofumi and Raphtalia seated across from them. Like a little puppy, Keel once again tried to hide herself from view beneath Shirou's arms while staring cautiously at the people around. Raphtalia was no better and fearfully staring out from where she'd wrapped herself in Naofumi's cloak. Awkward would be the most apt term to describe the present situation.

"C-Can we leave yet?" Keel asked mutedly, her eyes darting back and forth.

"I-I want to leave too," Raphtalia whispered imploringly.

The reason for the two children's behaviour couldn't have been any clearer due to the unfriendly faces around. Shirou and Naofumi were one thing, the invited nobles giving them indifferent expressions, but towards Keel and Raphtalia, there was thinly veiled animosity. A waiter had even refused to serve the two children and called them 'rats' and 'vermin' to their faces much to both Shirou and Naofumi's ire.

"You know, I felt it the first time, but I don't think we're very welcome," Naofumi whispered discreetly, making sure to keep Raphtalia close to him rather then let her wander off to the self-serve food with Keel. Not that their vice-like grips would be lightening up anytime soon.

He raised a brow. Not welcome? This was an understatement. It wasn't only them, but the looks that they were continuing to pin on Keel and Raphtalia had him feeling weary.

Shirou observed the stares of the people around them, and heightened his sense of hearing to make the thinly veiled whispers audible.

_'Half-breed filth.' _

_'Look. It's the Shield Hero's party.'_

_'Remember the plan. Follow your orders.' _

The voices drowned on until a picture was soon created in his mind.

So, that was what was going on. The people of Melromarc believed in a religion that disdained the Hero of the Shield. Something called the Church of the Three Heroes who actively stood opposed to Demi-Humans and their Hero of the Shield. This wasn't an issue he could just deal. It was ingrained prejudice.

The stares only grew more pointed as the banquet continued, and there were still no signs of the other Heroes or their parties. Suspicion began to brew within him born from his own experiences. He scrutinized the guests in the hall, and took note of how they were congregating towards the exits of the banquet hall. Of course, they could just be moving to assigned positions to secure the area, but there were far too many. There was a second floor in the room, something of a viewing gala with carved safety rails all manned by Melromarc Archers.

He hummed in thought, staring into the eyes of King Aultcray Melromarc dispassionately seated upon his throne at the center of the room. If there was one thing Shirou was keen to notice, it was the smoldering hate that flickered in Aultcray's eyes when he noticed Keel and Raphtalia in a human dominated room. Their Demi-Human features stood out in stark contrast to the rest.

When a sneer broke out across Aultcray's face, Shirou sighed while staring at the staff the King used as a walking cane.

-The Hero of the Staff whose courage, valour, and ingenuity on the battlefield had become a shadow of his former self.

Without wasting another second, Shirou nudged Naofumi with his elbow. "We should leave," he advised, watching Naofumi's features scrunch up in confusion. A moment later after explaining his findings, Naofumi opened then closed his mouth in disbelief.

"Is that really why they all don't like us?" Naofumi inquired, keeping Raphtalia and Keel close, his shield ready to be deployed. "It just seems so petty. I mean we're all Heroes summoned to help the world, so why the need for discrimination?"

He didn't have the answer for that, or at least not one that he liked. Humanity could be so much better if they stopped trying to breed conflict and hierarchy, but even in the moonlit world, hierarchy exists. He wouldn't preach to there being a definite answer, yet he'd rather remain optimistic.

"Perspective," is what he answered Naofumi's question with, causing the man to blink.

The name Siltvelt had come up continuously in the murmurs of the crowd. It wasn't difficult to glean a bit more information from there.

"If we were summoned in a place called Siltvelt, you would be the one treated as a Hero, and the other three with prejudice," he explained. "Religions run deep in this new world and it's all based on individual perspective."

He tightened his grip on Keel and stood up while gently putting her down, Naofumi mirroring the motion. "We must leave," he said again. The fact that _everyone _stopped moving, if only for an instant, to stare at them was telling. Naofumi didn't notice the smaller details, but Shirou did.

This whole thing was a trap.

"Don't. Panic." Shirou mouthed to Naofumi which in retrospect was likely the wrong choice. Naofumi wasn't used to a life of combat and walking alongside death. His eyes bugged out, and the unease in his expression was immediately apparent to the trained eye.

_Fuck._

Shirou urged Naofumi to just walk out with him, and pretend nothing was happening, but nothing ever goes right.

"Ah wait, dear friends. Surely you wouldn't leave so early," Aultcray called out, masking the flash of agitation in his tone while sitting up on his throne.

_"Everyone's not in place yet. Stall them." _

He could hear the whispered orders through his enhanced hearing, and decided not to play into anything.

"We're leaving," he cut Naofumi off before his friend could speak. Holding Keel's hand in his, he gestured for Naofumi to the do the same with Raphtalia before immediately marching for the exit.

_"S-Stop them. W-We just need a bit more time." _

"Now see here!" Aultcray called out to deaf ears.

Naofumi looked flustered, but the trust he had with him outweighed the King's by far, and then a new player arrived.

"At the very least, please allow us to escort you back," Myne spoke up on behalf of her father, running towards them with a pained expression. Admittedly, even Shirou couldn't tell if she was acting or not. She looked genuinely distraught.

"I-I apologize if something was done to offend you both. I'd been too busy getting ready to attend the banquet with you or else I would be the first to call out anyone who would cause you both discomfort!" Myne pursed her lips, her gloved hands covered up to her elbows left wrinkled from hasty she must have put them on. She'd rushed out to meet them. "It wasn't supposed to turn out this way."

Shirou could tell that Myne wasn't lying with her last sentence. It was the truth that things weren't supposed to turn out this way. He looked towards Myne, then to Aultcray, then back to Myne. Perhaps, she may not truly be involved, but was just being used? No. It's still too dangerous to just assume especially with how ingrained to the Three Heroes Church Melromarc was.

Naofumi though was convinced she had nothing to do with the situation and nodded before anything else.

Shirou blinked in alarm, but upon noticing how taken aback Aultcray appeared, he hadn't taken this situation into account either. Were they really not working with each other?

"How grand!" Myne took Naofumi's hand, causing the man to blush while Raphtalia was almost pushed aside if not for Keel offering support. "Here, this way. We can all take my carriage."

Myne pushed ahead of both him and Naofumi, somehow much more eager than them to leave the palace. Everything else was a blur from there, and for his part, Shirou paid more attention to Aultcray and his knights to see if they'd try anything.

His attention didn't shift back to Myne until she'd urged them all into the carriage and got the horse moving into a steady trot.

"Naofumi," Shirou warned in a subtle tone, before being thrown off by Myne's next words.

"I couldn't just leave you two alone," She admitted, leaning forward with a nervous pout in her features. "Listen, alright. My father, the King was plotting something, and I just wanted to help you both. No one likes the Shield Hero in Melromarc and they like Demi-Humans even less."

Keel and Raphtalia shrunk in on themselves when Myne's attention fell on them despite the worry she placed in her eyes. While Naofumi was captivated by Myne's beauty, Shirou took the liberty of pulling Keel and Raphtalia to his side in order to ease their worries.

"You'd risk your life to help us?" Naofumi looked touched, and for his part, Shirou eased off some of the tension he was feeling.

"Of course," Myne grinned from ear to ear before engaging Naofumi in conversation.

None noticed the unnatural way Shirou had fallen silent until Raphtalia worked up the courage to tug on Naofumi's clothes and point out Shirou's condition to him.

Shirou's eyes were narrowed, lips thinned, and arms at the ready.

"Shirou?" Naofumi called.

Shirou raised a hand to call for silence and carefully peaked out of the carriage. Various shadows were lurking outside, careful to keep pace with the vehicle. No one even seemed to hear their movements. Glints of silver reflected in the moonlight.

_Assassins. Trained. Professional. _

As soon as the thought came to mind, the wheels of the carriage splintered and caused the vehicle to break down, scattering everyone inside. Reflexively, he shielded Keel from the crash while Naofumi covered for Myne and Raphtalia.

Shirou crashed his back into the ground, rocks and pebbles digging roughly against his skin as Keel squeaked in alarm. He pushed himself off the ground, and stood to protect Keel. His eyes sharpened in preparation for a continued attack, only to fumble as he watched the assassins run right past him like he was a piece of garbage on the road.

Was he… being overlooked?

This-This was a first.

"Mr. Naofumi! Over here!"

He glanced up to see Myne waving for Naofumi to follow her into a shadowed alleyway where she pushed a lever hidden as a long candle-holder to reveal a secret passage. Naofumi looked to him first- "Go!"- he gave the affirmative.

Whether or not he trusted Myne didn't matter as it was probably safer for Naofumi and the children to go with Myne rather than deal with trained killers. As for him, he rushed forward to catch the attention of the assassins while calling out to Keel.

"Keel," he yelled evenly. "I need you to follow Raphtalia and Naofumi."

"I don't like that lady," Keel hesitated.

Shirou grit his teeth. He also felt wariness towards Myne, but Naofumi had already followed after her with Raphtalia. There was no other choice, and he trusted Naofumi to act in their respective roles. Naofumi was the Shield that would protect everyone, and he was the Sword that would cut apart their obstacles.

"Keel, take care of them," he glanced right into Keel's eyes to convey his trust. "You know how kind Naofumi can be. Make sure he doesn't get taken advantage of."

Keel didn't argue, and for a moment he could see it was because she was afraid of him abandoning her if she disobeyed. What sort of cruel things had she experienced to cause her to react in such a way? Raphtalia was the same with Naofumi. Thoughts darkening, he shook his head in order to focus.

"B-But what about you?!" She called out nervously even while running after Naofumi and Raphtalia.

"Me?" He chuckled darkly while back handing an assassin that had underestimated him. "I'm dealing with these guys and then making an appointment with the King."

In his hands manifested the image of a certain staff.

One way or another, he was going to beat some sense into that king.

Hero to Hero.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Next update: Fate-In Time**

**P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious**

**Fiction Press: Survivor's Log: Reflections (New novel coming out near December)**

**Book link: Fatedlegacydark. ca**

**Summary of book:**

**Death. Grief. Ruin. Nothing was left unchanged after an unexplained tragedy led to the loss of millions across the world in key locations. Cities were reduced to wastelands of steel and concrete, and many were forced into migration. When events leading to the prior tragedy occur once more, Kevin Black was going to have to learn that sometimes mysteries were better left unsolved. Trapped with his friends in the world of a ruined city filled with monsters, the journey out would be far more perilous than the journey in.**


	5. Before the Calamity: Part 4

Naofumi did his best to run while carrying Raphtalia hugged over his chest while a pervading sense of unease caused his thoughts to drift. He hesitated, his legs slowing down as he glanced behind him and towards the dark underground path he'd already traversed through.

Raphtalia's grip on him tightened, her hands wrapped around his neck searching for a comfort and security he couldn't possibly give in his current predicament.

Myne was running just up ahead of him, leading him through what he was vaguely beginning to realize was a hidden catacomb beneath the Kingdom of Melromarc. On either side of the long winding corridors he passed by, rectangular indents were cut into the walls, coffins and bodies kept in sacs tucked into them.

The entire subterranean gallery was lit only by flickering wax candles that Myne lit with her magic as she led on. The accuracy of her actions felt odd considering they revealed a sense of familiarity that shouldn't have been normal considering this was an 'emergency' evacuation path.

Sure, Myne might have known about it, but to be _familiar_, Keel or Shirou would have noticed this detail and made precautions, but Naofumi was different. Rather than raise his guard, he was too busy spitting out strands of hair that kept flapping over his face.

With each stride, Raphtalia's long brown hair kept flicking up into Naofumi's eyes and mouth, causing him to splutter. He was more concerned about not falling and slowing Myne down rather than looking out for any oddities.

"S-Sorry," Raphtalia squeaked, doing her best to hold her bangs down with one hand while the other kept a grip on his shoulder.

Naofumi grunted while smiling awkwardly. Raphtalia had no reason to look so anxious just because she was causing him some trouble, yet considering where he'd found her, he blamed everything on the slavers and people who'd captured her in the first place.

"Don't be," he said kindly. Nodding once at her, he shifted his hold, putting one arm beneath her legs, and the other over her back. He cradled her, eliminating the issue of her hair swatting at his face.

Raphtalia stared up at him before pursing her lips and hugging him to make it easier to carry her.

Good girl.

Raphtalia's been through a lot at her age, but she was clearly strong of heart since she hadn't broken despite her circumstances.

With his hold secure, Naofumi spend up to run alongside Myne who glanced at him with a hint of confusion. She'd not thought Naofumi was at a level where he could keep up with her with no visible strain or use of magic. Much like the other Heroes, she'd assumed that Naofumi was still leveling in the beginner areas.

A fluke. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The man known as Naofumi Iwatani just so happened to possess impressive physical base stats.

Myne shook her head with a concealed scowl working over her features.

"Hey, ugh, do you hear that?" Naofumi abruptly spoke up, prompting Myne to narrow her eyes.

Unlike Naofumi, Myne was well versed in magic and had casted a rudimentary scouting spell. It wouldn't alert her of any traps or concealed passages, but it did inform of her of an uninvited guest.

"Ignore it. Rats infest these tunnels." Myne smiled awkwardly, heightening her pace and prompting Naofumi to mimic the action.

However, Myne didn't account for Raphtalia who had a view over Naofumi's shoulder. "Keel!" She called out in relief.

Myne clicked her tongue and forced herself to stop in tandem with Naofumi lest she give anything away.

"I'm not a rat," Keel appeared, her ears flattening over her head as she gazed warily at Myne.

Keel unhesitatingly raced to Raphtalia and Naofumi's side while panting for breath, clinging to the back of Naofumi's pant leg just above his knee. She didn't like Myne at all, her beast-like intuition allowing her to differentiate the truth of a person's character. If Naofumi wasn't aware of this before, he was now as Keel growled lowly from behind clenched teeth at Myne.

"Sorry," Naofumi apologized. "She mustn't like strangers."

Keel pulled at Naofumi's pant leg. "I don't like snakes," she corrected, the meaning going right over Naofumi's head, but prompting Myne to narrow her brows.

Naofumi sighed as he _did _sense the sudden tension. With Keel acting as an example, Raphtalia had clued into her friend's wariness of Myne and was childishly glaring in comradery, her cheeks puffed and lips curved downward.

They were an army of two that barely reached his waist.

The sight would have been cute if not for the implications, and the fact that Shirou was risking his life to buy them time and here they were standing idle.

This world wasn't a game. Getting better acquainted with the other Heroes and people of influence in Melromarc could wait. Getting stronger like Shirou had said was the priority. Besides, what was more trustworthy than the experience of a veteran?

Shirou may not have been old, but his advice sure sounded wise.

Keel had been with Shirou when they'd been split up in the carriage. The fact that she was here meant that Shirou had sent her. There had to be some sort of meaning for this action.

"We should hurry, Naofumi!" Myne clasped her hands over Naofumi's the warmth of her palms jarring him out of his stupor as a blush worked its way up his cheeks due to her proximity. "We don't know how long your friend can hold back those assassins. He may perish before I can sound an alarm to call the palace guards."

A fragrant scent assaulted his nose, permeating from Myne's hair as she pleadingly looked into his eyes.

"Yeah, y-yeah we should go," Naofumi said automatically as Myne smiled radiantly at him.

She let go of his hand and began running forward again, Naofumi following along after picking up Keel for the ride.

Myne continued to act as a guide while half-an-hour passed with them walking deeper and deeper into the catacombs. They stopped at a narrow fork in the path, Myne beckoning them to go one way towards a different exit while she goes the other to reach the palace and send a signal to a stationed guard outpost.

The reasoning was flawless. The assassins were after him, and to be frank, he was somewhat guilty that Myne was already placing herself in danger for him. He would have agreed to the decision without any second thoughts if not for Keel suddenly acting up.

"N-No." Keel shook her head, her nose twitching as she sniffed the dry underground. "It smells weird in there. Like old bones and rotten meat."

Keel was a demi-human who was part canine. Her scent of smell far surpassed anyone in the group, and Naofumi had no reason to doubt her. Once again, Naofumi failed to notice the careful neutrality that came over Myne's expression before she was all smiles again.

"We're in a catacomb child. What else would it smell like?" Myne tried to reason, all but glaring at Keel, and daring her to say otherwise. Raphtalia was the one who flinched while Keel gritted her teeth.

Meanwhile, Naofumi pondered the issue just long enough for Myne to 'accidently' step on a mechanism on the floor.

Everyone looked down at Myne's foot, varying expressions of disbelief on all their faces.

"D-Do you have any idea what that does?" Naofumi asked nervously.

"N-No clue," Myne's tone matched Naofumi's before the ground began shaking a second later and a steel wall came crashing down between them. Hastily, Naofumi pressed Keel and Raphtalia close while deploying his shield.

Dust and debris scattered over the area, clanking against the metal of his shield while forming a cloud that obscured visibility in the underground tunnel.

"N-Naofumi! I-I can't reach you!" The voice was muffled from the other side of the steel wall, but it was still distinguishable. "The tunnel's caving in from this end! You'll have to find another way out. There's an exit further down the path. Just keep going straight!"

If Shirou were around, the steel wall would mean nothing, but Naofumi he had no capability to force his way through. "I got it! Thanks!" He said in reply as the dust settled.

Inwardly, he was flustered at the sudden developments, but both Keel and Raphtalia were looking up at him for guidance. He was the only grown up present, and what grown up cowers or hesitates before children?

"We should get going," he said, doing his best impression of a confident hero, his back straightening and features sharpening.

Raphtalia clapped, but Keel still looked wary about doing _anything _Myne suggested doing.

"Don't worry," he grinned, for once thankful for his class. "I'm the Shield Hero."

They couldn't have asked for a better protector, and compared to the monsters he and Shirou had farmed, what was there to worry about?

Blades sprouted from the edge of his shield as he shifted it into the first level of the [Chain Shield Series].

[Atk: + 20]

[Def: + 10]

[Unique Ability: Splash Damage]

[Splash Damage: Randomly damages enemies near point of impact]

Onward it is.

* * *

You know the thing about being ignored? No one cares about you. Literally.

Before Shirou had been able to decide how to deal with the assassins before him, they had all just up and left without even bothering to pursue Naofumi or guarding against him. This was their sole mistake.

You see, he wasn't an average hero. He was a Magus.

Numerous particular swords formed in the air, red hilted and with uniform blades, they resembled crosses in design. They were known as Black Keys, the preferred weapon of choice by agents of the Church combating against heresy and evil.

All it took was a second from there. While the assassins panicked in bewilderment at the sight of so many blades, they chose to remain still after tracking the trajectory of the Black Keys and determining that they wouldn't land on their persons. Instead, what was impaled were their shadows.

This moment spelled the beginning of the end.

_If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. (John 1:8-10 ESV). _

Alarmed shouts and panicked yells echoed while every single assassin regarded him with a layer of fear born of incomprehension.

_It is in sin that we repent. The devils hiding in the dark. _

The Black Keys stabbed into the shadows of the cloaked assassins released an unseen property that permeated towards the shadow's source, magically binding them in place.

_Be subdued by the weight of your own demons. _

Shirou left the assassins as they were in an obscured area near the outskirts of Melromarc. He didn't have the motivation or time to bother with them for any longer. Should help arrive, they could be saved if the Black Keys were removed, but if not, then they would be standing there without food or water for however long it would take.

Shirou took in a breath, and with that he was gone in a burst of bodily Reinforced speed all the way back to Melromarc castle. In his hands was a traced copy of the very same cane Aultcray Melromarc always kept nearby.

Once back on the premise of the castle, he wasted no time and started walking in a particular direction past the main audience hall. From the way he moved he seemed entirely familiar with the long and complex halls that made up Melromarc's main castle, and this was due to a peculiar aspect of his Tracing magecraft.

Not only did his Tracing reveal to him the history of a weapon, but the skill and experiences of its wielder as well. This alone had been the reason why he'd not been too vocal against Aultcray despite how prejudiced he'd been to Naofumi.

It was because he could _understand _Aultcray, meaning that he was the most qualified to ever confront the man about his mistakes.

Reaching a particular concealed room hidden behind a hollow book shelf, he raised his leg and kicked through the hidden door. Aultcray could be seen seated on a desk surrounded by book shelves and transcriptions of magic circles going over classified documents regarding the order to assassinate the Shield Hero.

Startled at his abrupt entrance, Aultcray jumped to his feet in shock and fury, yet whatever it was that Aultcray had to say died in his mouth when he noticed a peculiar detail.

"…T-This isn't possible," Aultcray murmured as his gaze shifted from the cane in his hands, and then to the cane in Shirou's.

"Contrarily to your thoughts, I'm not here to fight," Shirou tried to placate, but nothing he was saying was registering in Aultcray's mind until the traced copy of the legendary staff made to resemble a cane was dissipated.

"You, what madness is this?!" Aultcray yelled in abject confusion and apprehension. Just to make sure his cane was still by his side, Aultcray gripped it tightly.

Shirou ignored the question and simply strode further into the room, making sure to close the path behind him by forming a giant blade that muted Aultcray into silence.

"I will not claim to know or understand what it was that made you decide to lose sight of your own self, but this world still needs its heroes. _Every _hero." Shirou's eyes sharpened, his expression sharpening.

Whatever it was that had brought him here, there was certainly meaning. By Tracing copies of the Legendary weapons and now a vassal staff, he became vaguely aware of some sort of importance that they played.

He hadn't lied in his previous sentence. The world really did need every hero available, the loss of even one weakening some sort of system.

The principle was the same for the runes or magic points that powered a bounded field. The more of them were destroyed or lost, the weaker the bounded field. In essence, the heroes were like runes or magic points acting as the foundation for something.

"Let us talk."

Shirou gingerly found a chair and seated himself across from a silently glaring Aultcray.

When Aultcray made to protest, shimmers formed in the air before the entire hidden office was surrounded in a sea of sharp steel.

"It wasn't a suggestion."

Shirou watched the colour drain from Aultcray's face.

"You. Will. Sit. And. You. Will. Listen."

Shirou knew that he was being forceful, but the King before him was in need of a long-awaited wake-up call. There was no such thing as a world without danger, and peace time had made the man grow lax.

What was needed for the future wasn't the King of Melromarc, but the Hero the King once was that had earned the love and favour of the Queen for his strategical mind and capabilities.

The world didn't need Aultcray Melromarc XXXII.

It needed the Third Illegitimate Heir of the strongest Kingdom of Faubrey: The War General and Hero of the Staff who killed the leader of the Hakuko in revenge for his sister.

Lüge Lansarz Faubrey.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Next update:**

**-Fate: Sword Order (Out tomorrow) **

**P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious**

**Fiction Press: Survivor's Log: Reflections (New novel coming out near December)**

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